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Impact of Online Counselling Awareness on Online Mental Health Service Awareness among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Online counselling and other digital mental health services have become increasingly important avenues for providing psychological support to university students, particularly where geographical, financial, scheduling, stigma, and accessibility barriers may limit the use of conventional face-to-face services. University students in Nigeria may experience academic pressure, financial difficulties, relationship challenges, social adjustment problems, and other stressors that may affect their psychological wellbeing. Despite the potential benefits of online counselling, some students may have limited awareness of available digital mental health services, how such services operate, their potential benefits, confidentiality provisions, eligibility requirements, and appropriate ways to access them. Online counselling awareness activities provide an opportunity to improve students' understanding of digital mental health support and increase awareness of available online counselling services. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of online counselling awareness on online mental health service awareness among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Technology Acceptance Model, and Social Cognitive Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of mental health needs, perceived benefits of online counselling, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their awareness and willingness to consider digital mental health services. The Technology Acceptance Model emphasizes the importance of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitudes toward technology in shaping individuals' acceptance and understanding of technology-based services. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the roles of knowledge, self-efficacy, observational learning, social interaction, and environmental influences in developing awareness and technology-related health behaviours. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how online counselling awareness may influence online mental health service awareness among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, universities, faculties, departments, and eligible students. Online counselling awareness will be measured using indicators such as exposure to online counselling awareness activities, frequency and duration of awareness sessions, knowledge of online counselling, awareness of digital mental health platforms, types of services available, methods of accessing online counselling, service eligibility, confidentiality and privacy information, benefits and limitations of online counselling, appointment procedures, emergency-care limitations, referral information, cost and affordability information, and awareness of university-based digital counselling services. Online mental health service awareness will be assessed using indicators such as students' ability to identify available online mental health services, knowledge of how to access such services, awareness of online counselling platforms, understanding of services provided, awareness of confidentiality and privacy arrangements, knowledge of appointment procedures, awareness of service costs where applicable, recognition of appropriate situations for using online mental health services, awareness of referral pathways, and knowledge of emergency support limitations. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and appropriately validated online mental health service awareness instruments administered before and after the awareness intervention where a quasi-experimental design is used. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic and academic characteristics, digital technology use, exposure to online counselling awareness activities, and levels of online mental health service awareness. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired or independent sample tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of online counselling awareness on online mental health service awareness. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that online counselling awareness has a significant positive impact on online mental health service awareness among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured online counselling awareness activities are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge of available digital mental health services, access procedures, service characteristics, confidentiality arrangements, and appropriate referral pathways compared with their baseline awareness or students without similar exposure. Awareness activities may reduce uncertainty and misconceptions about online counselling while increasing students' confidence in identifying suitable digital mental health support. University websites, student portals, social media platforms, orientation programmes, counselling centres, mobile applications, webinars, and peer-led awareness activities may provide accessible channels for disseminating information about online mental health services. However, limited internet access, digital literacy differences, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, unreliable technology, financial barriers, limited availability of qualified online counsellors, and misconceptions about digital mental health services may reduce the effectiveness of online counselling awareness activities. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, reliable, confidential, and sustained online counselling awareness initiatives to contribute significantly to improved awareness of online mental health services among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on online counselling awareness, online mental health service awareness, digital mental health, university student mental health, e-counselling, tele-mental health, health education, digital health literacy, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission, university administrators, counselling centres, university health services, psychologists, counsellors, digital health providers, information and communication technology units, student organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving awareness of digital mental health support. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating online counselling information into university orientation and student-support programmes, strengthening university digital counselling platforms, improving digital mental health literacy, protecting privacy and confidentiality, increasing awareness of available services, strengthening referral pathways, and expanding accessible online mental health support for university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Online counselling awareness, online mental health service awareness, university students, digital mental health, e-counselling, tele-mental health, digital health literacy, mental health services, student mental health, health education, Nigeria, public health.