How an online support system can assist you

How an online support system can assist you through university and beyond Dr Patapia Tzotzoli Consultant Clinical Psychologist CEO & Founder i. Concipio

*Nora, 19, second year undergraduate student She began experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and she found it hard to stay motivated and focused on her studies. She has lost interest in daily activities and is suffering from a lack of energy. She regularly feels anxious about deadlines and uncompleted work, and as a result, she often chooses to go out with her friends so that she can forget about her studies. The money she spends on these nights out has made her financial situation unstable, further increasing her worries. A breakup with her boyfriend has put further strain on her emotional state. When seeking help from the student support services, she was put on a long waiting list to see a counsellor. the problem

Nora’s story is typical of many HE students who suffer from psychological and academic difficulties • 78% experience mental health issues in the past year • 33% had suicidal thoughts Key Triggers: • 65% course deadlines • 54% exams • 47% financial difficulties • 7% only satisfied with the support received at their university NUS, survey (2015) the problem

Nora’s story is typical of many HE students who suffer from psychological and academic difficulties A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university showed that difficulties stem from: • • moving away from home new financial responsibilities living away from family sudden lack of social and financial support unhealthy eating sleeping habits alcohol consumption higher rates of depression than those found in the general population Ibrahim et al, (2013) the problem

*Why is this important? Students who underestimate the impact of psychological health are: • less likely to have social contacts at university • less likely to be satisfied with their studies • more likely to drop out (Keyes et al, 2012) the problem

Barriers to help-seeking • 1/3 of students would not know where to get mental health support if needed • perceived stigma • accessibility + although more students open up recently about mental health issues, university student support services struggle to meet demand NUS, survey (2015) the problem

In 2011, the Royal College of Psychiatrists proposed: a web-based interactive cognitive behavioural therapy as a suitable option for students with mild to moderate depression and without access to face-toface therapy the solution Computerised interventions: • • time effective cost effective readily accessible ‘handheld support’

* the solution

*What is meplusme The system is called Me. Plus. Me and it is an online support system that offers psychological and study skill techniques to help students enhance their personal effectiveness - in order words learn how to take care themselves and how to stay on top of their studies the solution It is designed for • students who might feel low or stressed at times, and/or might be having difficulties with their studies • for students who are not experiencing any difficulties, but just want to improve their study skills and learn how to take care of their wellbeing

*How it works https: //www. meplusme. com/_ball/ * Watch also “Our Philosophy” and a video technique on the website: www. iconcipio. com the solution

The journey so far. . 2011 - two market research projects • We asked counselors working in HEI’s SSS how are they offer support and what difficulties they are facing • We asked students what are their common difficulties at university, their opinions of online support systems, and what features they believe make such systems useful We found that there is need for an online support system and what features to incorporate in its design in order to meet students’ demands the solution

The journey so far. . 2011 – a few months later, a grant by TSB • proof of concept study for our demo system • 873 students from 5 UK HEIs • We asked students what did they think of our demo We found that students like and need such a system • We asked executives from HEIs about their thoughts • Their feedback, alongside findings from the proof of concept study, helped to refine the initial design of Me. Plus. Me For example: wording and graphics changed to better appeal to a broader range of ages added new features such as escape button introduced a new character for the video techniques the solution

*The journey so far. . We have now developed a beta version of the system and we want to run a feasibility study exclusively with a UK HEI. the solution

Thank you