Digital tools to support post-secondary student mental health and wellbeing

Post-secondary students are confronted by multiple factors that may impact their mental health, including heightened academic demands, financial burdens, new living circumstances, social isolation, and an increased need to be self-reliant. While student mental health is a priority for post-secondary institutions, there is a marked gap in evidence regarding what supports and interventions are most effective, for whom, and in what contexts. Digital technologies can improve the accessibility of mental health care and facilitate comprehensive data collection; however, we argue that there is an urgent need for these tools to be co-designed with students to ensure they are relevant, useable, and responsive to their real-world experiences, implemented with human support to optimise outcomes, and championed by organisational leadership to promote adoption. Further, it is essential that clinical and service usage data is tracked alongside academic performance to prioritise both student mental health and academic success in alignment within institutional priorities.