The Texas A&M University system has rolled out the TELUS Health Student Support, a free, confidential mental health care app, for its 153,000 students.
According to the university system, the app provides students with 24/7 access to mental health help via telephone or chat. Students can also make counseling appointments for short-term support via telephone or video.
“Studies show that about 75 percent of students who are struggling with depression or anxiety are reluctant to get help,” said James Hallmark, vice chancellor of academic affairs for the 11 universities in the Texas A&M System. “We hope this app makes it easier for students to take the first step.”
Through the app, available for both Android and iOS, students can talk to a counselor via text chat or phone call, with services available in multiple languages including Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Other languages may be available by request. Students can even schedule a limited number of repeat sessions with the same counselor if needed.
The app also includes an educational media library that covers a variety of mental health-related topics, anonymous assessments for conditions like depression, anxiety, and drug use, and even access to guided meditations and fitness sessions.
“Mental health is key to student success,” Hallmark said. “College can be stressful, it’s a transformative experience, after all, but students today are more willing than ever to seek the help they need and we are very glad to be able to be offering it to them.”
Funding for the new program comes from the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.
