# Effectiveness of telepsychiatry in college students: A cross sectional evaluation

## TL;DR

Telepsychiatry helps reduce mental health symptoms in college students and is well accepted, though privacy and connectivity issues remain.

## Contribution

Demonstrates telepsychiatry's effectiveness and acceptance among college students with specific barriers identified.

## Key findings

- Telepsychiatry significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in students.
- High satisfaction and fewer missed appointments were reported with video-based consultations.
- Privacy, connectivity, and rapport were identified as key barriers to telepsychiatry use.

## Abstract

Telepsychiatry has rapidly expanded as a response to the growing mental health needs of college students. This cross-sectional
evaluation surveyed 376 students across three universities regarding usage, satisfaction and effectiveness of telepsychiatry. Results
showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms, high satisfaction and reduced missed appointments, particularly with
video-based consultations. Privacy, connectivity and rapport were key barriers. Thus, we show that telepsychiatry is an effective and
acceptable alternative to in-person care, though implementation should address engagement and privacy concerns.