Comparison of outcomes from a university counselling service before and during COVID-19: Exploring the use of remote therapy

Background

Research pooling data from UK university counselling services (UCSs) has allowed UCSs to compare their outcomes and demonstrate their effectiveness in improving student mental health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UCSs moved to remote delivery. Consequently, it was necessary to understand how this impacted students' outcomes.

Aims

This evaluation aimed to (1) understand how the therapeutic outcomes of a UCS compared with established norms in UK UCS literature, and (2) understand whether delivering therapy online affected student outcomes compared with UK norms from in-person therapy.

Method

Sessional outcome data from 627 students who attended the UCS in the 2020/2021 academic year were gathered. Descriptive analyses of students' initial clinical data (determined by the CCAPS-34) were conducted. Paired sample t-tests determined differences between the pre- and post-therapy scores. The effect size of this difference was derived.

Results

Students presented with high levels of academic distress, social anxiety, generalised anxiety and depression. The initial severity of mental health concerns was lower than that reported in previous literature. The largest improvements were evidenced for depression and general anxiety and 25% (n = 112) of students achieved reliable reductions in distress. Compared with existing literature, the UCS showed similar levels of improvement over therapy. It is suggested that remote therapy increased service accessibility.

Conclusion

The delivery of remote therapy produced results consistent with norms in the UK data, highlighting the effectiveness of online therapy for university students. Further large-scale evaluations of student outcomes from remotely delivered therapy are recommended.