Digital Mental Health Interventions and Student Wellbeing: Evaluating the Role of E-Counselling Services in Edo State Tertiary Institutions

This study evaluated digital mental health interventions and student wellbeing (e-counselling) services among undergraduate students in selected tertiary institutions in Edo State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by the increasing prevalence of mental health challenges among university students and the growing need for technology-driven counselling interventions. Specifically, the study assessed students' awareness and usage of e-counselling services, examined the perceived effectiveness of digital counselling in addressing mental health concerns, identified barriers to the adoption of e-counselling, and explored strategies for integrating digital counselling into institutional mental health systems.The study adopted a mixed-method research design, although the findings reported in this study are based on the quantitative component. The target population comprised undergraduate students from five selected tertiary institutions in Edo State. A sample of 500 students was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique, while 491 valid questionnaires were retrieved and analysed, representing a response rate of 98.2%. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of demographic variables and four questionnaire items measuring the major constructs of the study. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, were used to analyse the data, while independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance.The findings revealed that students demonstrated a high level of awareness and usage of e-counselling services (Mean = 3.81, SD = 1.43). Respondents also perceived e-counselling services as highly effective in addressing stress, anxiety, and academic pressure (Mean = 4.23, SD = 1.16). The study further established that significant technological, institutional, and socio-cultural barriers continue to hinder the effective adoption of digital counselling services (Mean = 4.20, SD = 1.13). In addition, respondents strongly supported the integration and improvement of e-counselling services within tertiary institutions (Mean = 4.01, SD = 1.30). Hypothesis testing indicated significant gender differences in awareness and usage, as well as integration and improvement of e-counselling services, while no significant gender differences were found regarding perceived effectiveness and barriers. Significant differences were also observed among Federal, State, and Private universities with respect to awareness and usage and perceived effectiveness, whereas no significant differences were found regarding barriers and integration.The study concluded that e-counselling is an effective and acceptable approach to promoting students' mental wellbeing in Nigerian tertiary institutions. However, its successful implementation depends on improved institutional support, digital infrastructure, policy development, counsellor capacity building, and increased awareness among students. The study recommends sustained awareness campaigns, strengthening institutional digital counselling services, addressing technological and policy barriers, and integrating e-counselling into university mental health systems. The findings contribute to the growing literature on digital guidance and counselling and provide evidence to support the implementation of technology-enabled mental health services in higher education institutions in Nigeria.