Ohio State partnership offers online mental health support

Paige Cirtwill
Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:53:02 +0000
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SilverCloud is an online mental health care platform which users can access 24/7 to help manage their mental health. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor

Beyond Counseling and Consultation Services, Ohio State has added another mental health resource to its list that will allow students to work at a personalized pace this fall semester.

SilverCloud, a 24-hour online mental health care platform, became available to students May 18, according to the CCS website. Its different features allow students to work from a variety of devices and on an as-needed basis, Dr. R. Ryan Patel, a psychiatrist at CCS, stated in a May 18 release.

“It’s got programs to help with resilience, stress, depression and anxiety, among other things,” Patel said. “Not only can it help students in many different ways, it can meet people where they’re at, at their own convenience.”

When completing modules in SilverCloud, users work through various cognitive behavioral therapy exercises designed to address symptoms of anxiety, depression and other common mental health issues, Patel said.?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of mental health treatment that attempts to change thinking and behavioral patterns, according to the American Psychological Association. It emphasizes the importance of individuals learning to “be their own therapists.”??

Examples of exercises to help users manage their mental health include journaling, mood monitoring and activity scheduling, according to a video on SilverCloud’s website.

“As you put in your information about how you’re feeling, the program will give you different activities to do that can help,” Patel said.

Sarah Littlefield, partner marketing manager at SilverCloud, said the company first launched in Ireland in 2012 before expanding to the U.K. and U.S. Since then, the program has been adopted at over 100 other higher education institutions, including the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Florida.

“By offering students an avenue to feel supported and empowered to advocate for themselves, SilverCloud Health allows students to focus on their college experience by eliminating some of the noise in a student’s world,” Littlefield said in an email.

Students who use SilverCloud are also paired with a mental health professional employed by CCS or SilverCloud, Patel said. The professionals monitor users’ progress, guide them to relevant modules and exercises and answer questions.

The platform also uses questionnaires to track users’ progress, according to a video on SilverCloud’s website. The course is designed to last eight to 12 weeks at a rate of one 40-minute module per week.

Patel said the program is not meant to replace professional mental health therapy, nor is it an emergency mental health service.?

“This program can be used on its own, it can be used in combination with professional counseling, psychiatry, medications, all of that,” Patel said. “There are not too many other services out there that can do that on such a large scale, so that’s why we think it should be very exciting.”?

To learn more or sign up for SilverCloud, visit the CCS website.

In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Hotlines:

National Suicide Prevention 24/7 Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Columbus Suicide 24/7 Hotline: 614-221-5445

The Trevor Project 24/7 LGBTQ Suicide Hotline: 866-488-7386

National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine: 800-950-6264

CCS Crisis Hotline (after-hour consultation): 614-292-5766 and choose option 2

Text Lines:

National 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741-741

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “4HOPE” to 741-741

The Trevor Project LGBTQ Suicide Prevention 24/7 Text Line: Text “START” to 678-678