journalArticle
Montagni
Ilaria
Donisi
Valeria
Tedeschi
Federico
Parizot
Isabelle
Motrico
Emma
Horgan
Aine
Internet use for mental health information and support among European university students: The e-MentH project
The aim of the present study was to describe the socio-demographic variables associated with the use of the Internet for mental health information-seeking by European university students, including participants’ trust in the Internet, and their use of the Internet in comparison to traditional formal mental health care. A cross-sectional anonymous 25-item survey was conducted with 2466 students in three courses (Computer Science, Law, Nursing) from four European universities (France, Ireland, Italy, Spain). Participants were equally distributed in all four countries; they were mostly females (57.5%), with a mean age of 21.6 years. Overall, female, French and Nursing students were more likely to look for mental health information. The majority (69.7%) of students reported that information about mental health on the Internet was unreliable. Among all participants, Spanish students reported a higher trust in web content. The findings suggest that university students frequently use the Internet for mental health information-seeking but not for mental health support. Furthermore, they do not entirely trust the Internet for mental health-related issues. This should be considered in planning Internet-based programmes for mental health promotion and prevention in university students.
2055207616653845
2016/01/01
en
Internet use for mental health information and support among European university students
http://dhj.sagepub.com/content/2/2055207616653845
2016-12-02 13:59:06
dhj.sagepub.com
00004
Digital Health
2
DOI 10.1177/2055207616653845
ISSN 2055-2076