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

Posted on 14 Aug 2025 — The copyright holder is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse without permission. — https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175517115.57730020/v1 — This is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed. Data may be preliminary. Digital tools to support post-secondary student mental health and wellbeing Haley LaMonica M 1, Ian Hickie1, William Capon 1, Maya Ahia2, Lexi Ewing 3, Wendy Lee4, Frank Iorfino1, Yun Ju Song1, Sarah Mckenna1, and Kristin Cleverley 3 1The University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre 2University of Toronto 3Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 4The University of Sydney School of Education and Social Work August 14, 2025 Abstract 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. Hosted file Digital tools for post-sec students_12_08_2025_FINAL.docx available at https://authorea.com/ users/956169/articles/1325162-digital-tools-to-support-post-secondary-student-mental- health-and-wellbeing 1