Objective:

To examine the acceptability, user-informed refinement, and preliminary evaluation of Fruto, a campus-integrated digital platform aimed at supporting university students' mental health help-seeking attitudes and counseling-related beliefs.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Over one-third of university students in the United States report depressive symptoms that impair their daily functioning.
• Only 22.2% of Koreans seek professional mental health services, compared to 41.3% in the United States and 46.5% in Canada, highlighting a significant treatment gap.
• Barriers to help-seeking include a preference for self-management, lack of time, limited knowledge of resources, and concerns about privacy or stigma.
• Digital mental health interventions can provide accessible and less stigmatizing support options for students.

Interpretation:

The study indicates a need for campus-integrated digital platforms that connect students to appropriate mental health resources and support services.

Limitations:

• The study's findings may not be generalizable beyond the specific university context.
• Potential biases in self-reported data from student interviews.

Conclusion:

Fruto aims to address the gaps in existing digital mental health tools by providing a unified help-seeking ecosystem linked to university counseling services.

Attribution Notice

This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.