The University of Alabama is working to provide its online students with increased access to mental health and wellness support. As part of that effort, the college has announced a new partnership with Uwill, a popular online therapy platform.
“The University of Alabama wants to ensure that all students have the support they need to be successful,” said Dr. Amanda Ingram, executive director of Online and Continuing Education. “Adding Uwill’s mental health and wellness solution allows our online students from across the country to connect with a trained mental health professional if they need help.”
Alabama’s Uwill page for mental health and wellness support can be found at https://online.ua.edu/uwill/
Uwill’s proprietary technology offers UA Online students immediate appointments with licensed mental health counselors based on student needs and preferences.
Michael London, Founder and CEO of Uwill, emphasized the role mental health plays in education.
“Success for all students is rooted in mental resilience and the ability to work through difficult situations, especially in the evolving world of technology,” London said. “Uwill is honored to be supporting students to help empower them to succeed in the online space.”
Uwill also recently formed an exclusive partnership with the Online Learning Consortium aimed at helping online schools and programs to further support the mental health of their students, wherever they are located.
According to national data collected by Times Higher Education, since 2014, the rate of college students reporting depression has risen from 21 percent to 41 percent. During the same time period, students reporting symptoms of anxiety climbed from 20 percent to 36 percent. The data also showed that half of students with mental health conditions have never used any campus counselling services, while only two-thirds of students say they know who and where to turn to when experiencing a crisis.
Alabama’s Uwill page for mental health and wellness support can be found at https://online.ua.edu/uwill/
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
