Evaluating a helpline for post-secondary students: Caller distress, ability to face concern and satisfaction with helpline

Background

Helplines for post-secondary students have emerged in the last decade to address the growing mental health needs and increasing help-seeking of this population in ways that are responsive to their needs and preferences. However, there is no publicly available evidence of the effectiveness of helplines for post-secondary students.

Aims

This study evaluated the outcomes of Good2Talk, a helpline for post-secondary students in Ontario, Canada, that offers professional counselling and information and referral services related to mental health, addictions and well-being.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, purposive sampling was used to recruit post-secondary students who contacted Good2Talk between March 2016 and March 2020. Data were collected using post-call questionnaires. Paired samples t-tests and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the data from 619 post-secondary students.

Results

Participants reported significant decreases in distress and increases in their ability to face their concern after contacting the helpline. Feeling understood and low pre-call distress were significant predictors of low post-call distress. Confidence in their abilities and having a better plan were significant predictors of high post-call ability to face their concern. Age, gender and number of previous calls to the helpline were not significant predictors of positive outcomes. Most participants reported that they would recontact the helpline and recommend the helpline to a peer.

Conclusion

The study indicates that counselling and information and referral services can be effective in reducing distress and increasing post-secondary students' abilities to address their mental health concerns.