University Students’ Mental Health Services Need and Utilization, Telemental Health Awareness, and Barriers to Seeking Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT Telemental health services have become more pressing for higher education students since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent of that need, and barriers to accessing care, remain uncertain – including demographic inequities. Between June 2020 and December 2021, public university students (N = 1441) were surveyed about demographic factors, history of mental healthcare, telemental health awareness, and perceived pandemic-time mental healthcare needs and barriers. Approximately one-third of the sample reported feeling an increased unmet need for mental health services, with connection to services being predicted by semester cohort, neighborhood income level, mental healthcare history, and level of telemental health awareness. A variety of barriers to seeking care were endorsed by a minority of participants. Results can inform outreach and capacity efforts in the post-vaccines era to improve access to care – including telemental healthcare – for historically marginalized groups, poorer students, and those unfamiliar with mental health services.