College students experiencing anxiety, depression, and eating disorders benefit from therapy delivered through a digital app, according to new research published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. The findings were announced on May 12 and are based on a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of digital cognitive-behavioral guided self-help interventions among college populations.
Daniel Eisenberg, a co-author of the study and professor in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s Department of Health Policy and Management, said, “Overall, these findings support the prevention and treatment benefits of digital therapy as part of the wider set of services available to students. The intervention reduced symptoms and substantially increased access to care, showing a markedly higher uptake than a passive referral to usual services. This underscores the viability of digital services as a scalable, population-based approach to improving mental health.”
The research is notable for its scale. Eisenberg said, “The study is notable because it is one of the largest ever randomized trials to evaluate the impact of offering digital mental health services to college student populations. We used a public health approach that includes both treatment and prevention, and we found significant benefits of the intervention.”
The University of California Los Angeles has been associated with notable figures such as Nobel laureates and MacArthur Fellows; it also fosters diverse perspectives through academic programs while supporting activities on its 419-acre campus within the University of California system—according to its official website.
These results suggest that universities may consider integrating digital therapy into their broader mental health service offerings for students who may not otherwise seek traditional forms of care.
