Improving On-Campus Digital Mental Health Support for Underrepresented University Students

Recent studies have shown a growing demand on college campuses for mental health support and services. At the same time, Black and Latinx students have a higher incidence of unsatisfied needs for mental wellbeing and are more likely to encounter difficulties with mental health services. A technological approach for the navigation of mental health services on campus is a promising approach to meeting Black and Latinx students' mental health needs. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study that focuses on understanding the technology habits and preferences correlated with students' mental health and how those relate to what is presented by college and university counseling center websites. Findings illustrate howthe college students' preferences for applications that integrate with their current on-campus programs clashed with the easily available offerings of campus counseling centers. These results demonstrate the disconnect between Enterprise UX and modern college students' technology practices.