Mental Health Resources for Online Students

By Ammon Cheney, Psy.D.

Published June 26, 2024

There are some online students who have opted for online courses because they already have all the social support they need and see little benefit to being on campus. However, there can be a lot of other reasons for taking online classes. Some students find themselves without transportation or are managing complicated schedules. These, or other obstacles, not only take them away from campus, but can have subsequent negative impacts on their lives and mental health.

In a survey published last month, more than half (58.64%) of the respondents cited “limited awareness of available services” as a common reason for not accessing mental health care. Students at Utah Valley University have access to an abundance of mental health services. One of my favorite aspects of Student Health Services is the collective knowledge of our administrators and therapists. If we don’t offer the service to best suit your needs, we likely know where to find it. If you are facing an obstacle to accessing mental health care, one of the mental health professionals at Student Health Services can help you navigate options you may not have considered. I hope you will reach out to us. I especially wanted to note some resources for online students, but the following resources are available to all UVU students.

For any student interested in exploring UVU’s many helpful resources, the UVU Thrive website is a fantastic place to start. The variety and depth of the resources listed there are near exhaustive. It is really worth a look. In fact, I could probably leave you with that link and stop writing; however, just in case your energy wanes at the prospect of searching beyond this blog post, I will list a few more resources.

I’d like to make a few suggestions for online students who are starting to feel low motivation, slight stress, or some isolation. My favorite resource that I recently learned about is academic coaching through the office of Academic Standards. For the past couple of years UVU has also partnered with Trula Campus for peer coaching as well. Coaching is a fantastic resource for acquiring skills. Tips for goal setting, managing time, and interpersonal communication may be all it takes to keep your stress levels at a manageable level.

If you are feeling socially isolated, I encourage you to explore ways to get involved with a club, department, or student council on campus. Getting involved with a group that supports your interests and values is a fantastic way to connect with peers and to feel fulfilled relative to your sense of purpose. It is a conviction of mine that happiness is fleeting, but purpose moves us through our most difficult periods of life. I encourage students to develop practices that allow them to deliberately engage with their values every day.

For students who are really finding themselves between a rock and a hard place, there are resources that provide more direct interventions. The Title IX office is for reporting “sexual assault, misconduct, discrimination, and/or harassment.” The Ombuds office is a great place to be heard when you feel you have had your rights as a student infringed on or if you need mediation between yourself and another entity (e.g. professor, roommate, landlord, etc…).  And of course, if you are feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or lost on where to turn, please contact us at Student Health Services. I, and other therapists, are available to chat with you. Feel free to shoot me an email if you have a question about a resource. If you need a more immediate response during business hours you can reach out to our Crisis Team. Outside of business hours we encourage folx to utilize the SafeUT app, the National Help Line 9-8-8, or the emergency line 9-1-1.