A Stepped Care approach to Mental Health
A Stepped Care approach to Mental Health
Mr Martin Healy , Ms Renee Griffin
University students are increasingly recognised as a vulnerable group , experiencing higher levels of mental health concerns compared to equivalent cohorts in the general population . The covid-19 pandemic has only compounded on this as the nature of their educational experience radically changed .
At the same time universities are also undergoing unprecedented change because of covid-19 . As well as the obvious burden of change for teaching as they move to online platforms , Support Services have also had to modify service delivery to meet the changed environment and increasing demands for support .
While there is often a gap between the demand for psychological services and the available supply , the way to overcome this problem is to increase efficiency of provision through the adoption of interventions within a Stepped Care model . Not all students need the same type of intervention . Some students may benefit by accessing self-help resources online , watching a video , using an app , or guided online programs . Others could benefit from a psychoeducational workshop , and still others may require longer term individual treatment from an accredited mental health professional .
Stepped Care is a staged approach to the delivery of mental health services , comprising a hierarchy of interventions ; from the least to the most intensive . In a stepped care approach , a person seeking support is connected to the services that meet their needs , and as their needs change , the services change with them . It has the capacity for the individual to step up and step down to different levels of care . This is fundamental to a person-centered approach to mental health care .
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