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.

Digital mental health, e-counselling, student wellbeing, tertiary institutions

1. Adebayo, A. O., Bello, T. A., & Yusuf, R. M. (2023). The integration of digital mental health services in Nigerian universities: Prospects and challenges. African Journal of Psychology and Counselling, 15(1), 25–38. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Adegbite, O. A., & Palalas, A. (2025). Exploring Nigerian universities' online students' experiences of mental health supports: Descriptive phenomenology. Open Praxis, 17(3), 579–593. https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.17.3.905 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Ademola, E. A., & Akintayo, O. A. (2022). Mental health awareness and help-seeking behavior among undergraduates in southwest Nigeria. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 32(3), 211–219. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Akhtar, P., Ma, L., Waqas, A., Naveed, S., Li, Y., Rahman, A., & Wang, Y. (2020). Prevalence of depression among university students in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 274, 911–919. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Barak, A., Hen, L., Boniel-Nissim, M., & Shapira, N. (2008). A comprehensive review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 26(2-4), 109–160. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide. SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2024). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Ferrari, M., Allan, S., Arnold, C., Eleftheriadis, D., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Gumley, A., & Gleeson, J. F. (2022). Digital interventions for psychological well-being in university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(9), e39686. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Harith, S., Backhaus, I., Mohbin, N., Ngo, H. T., & Khoo, S. (2022). Effectiveness of digital mental health interventions for university students: An umbrella review. PeerJ, 10, e13111. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ibrahim, N., Al-Kharboush, D., Elgendy, M., & Kamal, M. (2022). Mental health in university students: A global review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 822276. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Madrid-Cagigal, A., Kealy, C., Potts, C., Mulvenna, M. D., Byrne, M., Barry, M. M., & Donohoe, G. (2025). Digital mental health interventions for university students with mental health difficulties: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 19(3), e70017. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Ogundipe, R. O., Omotosho, O. E., & John-Akinola, Y. O. (2025). Perception, attitude and use of digital health platforms for mental health promotion among students in a national university in the south-western part of Nigeria: A cross-sectional study. DIGITAL HEALTH, 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251331841 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Ogunyemi, A. O., & Ajayi, T. M. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic and the psychological wellbeing of university students in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 26(2), 59–74. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Okunaiya, G. A., & Omovre, C. O. (2021). Counselling services and mental health status of Nigerian university students. Covenant International Journal of Psychology, 6(1). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Olowookere, E. I., & Fawole, O. I. (2022). Barriers to digital counseling adoption in sub-Saharan Africa: A Nigerian perspective. Journal of eHealth and Telemedicine, 8(1), 45–56. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Onwumere, J., & Chukwu, L. I. (2022). Perceptions and challenges of online counseling services among university students in Nigeria. International Journal of E-Counseling, 4(2), 85–97. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Taylor, M. E., Liu, M., Abelson, S., & Eisenberg, D. (2024). The reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of digital mental health interventions for college students: A systematic review. Current Psychiatry Reports, 26, 683–693. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. World Health Organization. (2023). Mental health and digital technologies: A policy brief. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240070819 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Yakubu, M. N., & Dasuki, S. I. (2021). Understanding the adoption of eHealth in developing countries: A TAM perspective. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries, 15(2), 1–11. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Influence of Stress and Test Anxiety on Academic Achievement of Science Education Students in Adamawa State University, Mubi
• Informational Support on Marital Satisfaction of Protestant Clergy and Their Spouses in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi, Kenya
• Career Maturity among UniSZA Students
• Career Self-Efficacy among UniSZA Students
• Social Factors as Predictors of Premarital Sex among Secondary School Adolescents in South-East States Nigeria