Feasibility and acceptability of CoMUni: a social media- based intervention to increase mental health help seeking in UK undergraduate students

Abstract

Objective One in three UK undergraduates experience mental health problems. Despite this, a high number of students avoid seeking any form of help, which can lead to problems worsening. In response to this problem, a novel social media-based intervention called ‘CoMUni’ was co-produced with students. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of CoMUni.Methods A two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted in Autumn 2023. Participants (undergraduate students) were randomly assigned to either an intervention (N = 31) or inactive control group (N = 33). A baseline and two-week follow-up questionnaire obtained feedback on the acceptability of CoMUni, feasibility of the study protocol, levels of mental health literacy, and help-seeking intentions.Results The CoMUni intervention was highly acceptable: most participants agreed that it was engaging and useful. Recruitment, retention, and data collection were found to be effective, and the majority of participants were satisfied with their overall study experience.Discussion CoMUni offers a novel approach to mental health support for university students. This study showed that CoMUni is acceptable and feasible and could be scaled up to a full trial, with some further development work. Interventions such as CoMUni may offer a vital first step in encouraging mental health support seeking in university contexts.

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