{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T21:39:02Z","timestamp":1793655542283,"version":"4.5.1"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,1]],"date-time":"2023-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1672531200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001322","name":"South African Medical Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001322","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001321","name":"National Research Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001321","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["DIGITAL HEALTH"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Globally, the high prevalence of mental disorders among university students is a growing public health problem, yet a small minority of students with mental health problems receive treatment. Digital mental health solutions could bridge treatment gaps and overcome many barriers students face accessing treatment. However, there is scant evidence, especially in South Africa (SA), relating to university students\u2019 use of and intention to use digital mental health solutions or their attitudes towards these technologies. We aim to explore university 2students attitudes towards and perceptions of digital mental health solutions, and the factors associated with their intention to use them.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>University students from four SA universities ( n\u2009=\u200917 838) completed an online survey to assess experience with, attitudes and perceptions of, and intentions to use, digital mental health solutions. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis to identify factors underlying attitudes and perceptions, and then used multivariate ordinal regression analysis was used to investigate the factors\u2019 association with students\u2019 intention to use digital mental health solutions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Intention to use digital mental health solutions was high, and attitudes towards and perceptions of digital mental health solutions were largely positive. Importantly, our analysis also shows that 12.6% of users were willing to utilise some form of digital mental health solutions but were unwilling to utilise traditional face-to-face therapies. The greatest proportion of variance was explained by the factor \u2018Attitudes towards digital technologies\u2019 utility to improve student counselling services, provided they are safe\u2019.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>SA university students are already engaging with digital mental health solutions, and their intention to do so is high. Certain attitudes and perceptions, particularly concerning the utility, effectiveness, and safety, underlie willingness to engage with these solutions, providing potential targets for interventions to increase uptake.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076231216559","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,1]],"date-time":"2023-12-01T01:44:46Z","timestamp":1701395086000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":64,"title":["Intention to use digital mental health solutions: A cross-sectional survey of university students attitudes and perceptions toward online therapy, mental health apps, and chatbots"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Elton Fayiah","family":"Gbollie","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3626-9883","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jason","family":"Bantjes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit, SAMRC, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucy","family":"Jarvis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Western Cape Department of Health, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sonja","family":"Swandevelder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biostatistics Unit, SAMRC, Cape Town, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jean","family":"du Plessis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Richard","family":"Shadwell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charl","family":"Davids","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Student Counselling and Development, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rone","family":"Gerber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Student Development and Support, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nuhaa","family":"Holland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7531-6665","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xanthe","family":"Hunt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-20552076231216559","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2011.569964"},{"key":"bibr2-20552076231216559","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2022.10.044"},{"key":"bibr3-20552076231216559","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291716001665"},{"key":"bibr4-20552076231216559","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-019-7218-y"},{"key":"bibr5-20552076231216559","unstructured":"Bantjes J, Kessler MJ, Hunt X, et al. Prevalence and correlates of 30-day suicidal ideation and intent: Results of the."},{"key":"bibr6-20552076231216559","unstructured":"South African National Student Mental Health Survey.\n                      South African Medical Journal\n                      in press."},{"key":"bibr7-20552076231216559","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2019.1583665"},{"key":"bibr8-20552076231216559","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/sltb.12237"},{"key":"bibr9-20552076231216559","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/mpr.1782"},{"key":"bibr10-20552076231216559","unstructured":"Bantjes J, Kessler MJ, Hunt X, et al. 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