Enabling Successful Transitions From Hospital Back to Campus: An Example of an Innovative Navigator Service for Post-Secondary Students With Acute Mental Health Needs

Abstract

Introduction

Increasing numbers of post-secondary students (PSS) are reporting mental health problems, and service needs often outweigh campus capacity, especially among PSS with acute issues. Stronger pathways linking campus and hospital-based care have therefore been recommended. In collaboration with Canada's largest university and largest mental health and addictions hospital, a Navigation Service for PSS accessing the emergency department (ED) was launched in 2022. The service provides developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed transition support to PSS following hospital discharge to prevent recurrent crises. This paper describes service development, design, and usage.

Methods

Health administrative data from the first 2 years of service use were analysed to describe the population of PSS using the ED. Factors associated with service referral, service registration and ED return after service discharge were examined using logistic regression and Fisher's exact tests.

Results

Six hundred and forty-nine PSS used the ED between September 2022 and August 2024 and of these 331 (51%) were referred to the service. Referrals were significantly associated with younger age, female gender, lack of provincial health insurance, and suicidal ideation; lower odds of referral were associated with substance use. ED return after discharge from the service (11.8%) was significantly lower than among those never referred (22.1%, p = 0.02).

Conclusion

The service fills an essential gap in the landscape of student mental health services by ensuring PSS requiring hospital intervention can safely return to campus. Two years of data provide important insights regarding who is getting a referral and what can be done to improve service access.