Using Technology to Access Mental Health Support Services for International Students

Title: Using Technology to Access Mental Health Support Services for International Students Attending American Colleges and Universities: Evaluation Study Results for My SSP

Date: March 2020

Source: The Jed Foundation

The global pandemic has generated growing concerns for international students’ mental health on top of traditional challenges they encounter such as language barriers and cultural differences.

Acknowledging these challenges, the Jed Foundation’s JED Campus Program and Morneau Shepell studied how using technology can support international students’ mental health. The “My Student Support Program” (My SSP) was developed to provide mental health services to international students. My SSP provides 24/7 support via chat, telephone, and video services in their preferred language (Mandarin and Cantonese, French, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, and English), allowing students to feel safer and more comfortable to share their challenges.

From Sept. 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2019, 23 U.S. institutions across the nation participated in the study and conducted a pre-post survey of students. The overall satisfaction with the My SSP program was high, particularly because the service is available in multiple languages. Nearly 80 percent agreed that the service offered useful tools that helped them, and 76 percent of students said they would recommend the service to a friend.

To read the full report, please click here.

—Haelim Chun