Implementing a college mental health program – an overview of the first twelve months

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the demographics and clinical utilization patterns among college students during the initial 12 months of a novel, multi-disciplinary, collaborative, college mental health program (CMHP). Participants: Undergraduate and graduate students receiving treatment at the CMHP from Jan-Dec 2015. Methods: De-identified data was obtained via electronic health records for all students receiving care through the CMHP. Results: 1.2 FTE clinical providers treated 278 undergraduate and graduate students during the year (65.1% < age 26, 53.6% female, 49.6% caucasian). There were 1822 CMHP outpatient visits, 318 other medical visits and 103 total emergency room (ER)/inpatient visits. Ten students were identified as high utilizers of ER/inpatient services, while charges to the CMHP totaled $470,157 and total charges to the Health System were $2,378,315. Conclusions: Students with complex psychiatric/medical co-morbidities received cost effective, convenient and integrative treatment. Over time, we hope to intervene earlier and decrease ER/inpatient visits.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical medicine
• community health
• mental health
• psychiatry

Ethical considerations

Our institutional review board formally exempted this study based on the de-identified data.

Disclosures

We report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

UCSD Joseph E. Edelman College Mental Health Program Fund Sources 1). The clinical work, particularly psychotherapy, was supported in part by the UCSD Joseph E. Edelman College Mental Health Program Fund. 2). The data collection was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health, Grant UL1TR001442. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.