Introduction: With the increasing need for mental health services among college students, institutions struggle to find appropriate mental health resources in their communities. A medium-sized Midwestern university offered telepsychiatry services to students at 12 institutions of higher education (15 campuses) in 2021-2022. The aim of this study was to highlight telepsychiatry as an accessible and effective form of mental health care for college students while limiting barriers. Methods: All partner liaisons were invited to participate in a brief survey to provide programmatic feedback. Secondary descriptive quantitative and qualitative data were reviewed. This study focused on a qualitative approach, with an emphasis on exploring satisfaction among referral institutions. Results: A thematic analysis identified strengths such as quality and timeliness of services with a competent psychiatric provider. The importance of a streamlined referral process and establishing relationships between the provider, referral liaison, and student were highlighted. Descriptive data resulted in a mean of 4.7 out of 5 in nine areas of satisfaction. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of telepsychiatry in addressing mental health needs in higher education. The implications are far-reaching. Telepsychiatry services within college health systems can increase inclusivity and accessibility for students by reducing barriers to care such as scheduling conflicts, transportation, and technical barriers. Institutions of higher education should consider establishing telepsychiatry services to maximize existing healthcare services and staffing models to increase student success. Further research should explore implementation strategies and long-term outcomes to optimize telepsychiatry’s effectiveness in academic strategies.
Schuh et al. (Tue,) studied this question.