Electronic evaluations help CAPS

In an increasingly digital world, healthcare professionals are able to perform some evaluations electronically.

Many schools — such as Pennsylvania State and Johns Hopkins universities — are using computerized questionnaires to identify serious problems more quickly than paper evaluations, according to a USA Today report

For about 10 years, Penn’s Counseling and Psychological Services has used OQ-45, a self-report evaluation, to measure a student’s progress during therapy, according to Associate Director Meeta Kumar.

OQ-45 and other computerized evaluations such as the Behavioral Health Measure and the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms have the potential to shed light on topics that students may not feel comfortable verbalizing in one-on-one counseling sessions, according to the report.

“Obviously, high-tech methods cannot replace personalized counseling, but computerized surveys, assessments, and screenings are quite valuable for informing the counseling setting,” Kumar wrote in an email.

Rising Nursing junior Elizabeth Park, who went to CAPS for severe depression during her freshman year, said she likes the idea of using the internet to meet the demands of students seeking help.

“Technology is a great way to make therapy more efficient,” she said. “Students can fill out online surveys at home, so they wouldn’t have to come to the office.”

Park said that when students call in to schedule appointments at CAPS, they usually have to wait a few weeks before they can see a counselor.

She said it might be beneficial to “maximize the use of technology” during that gap period, something which CAPS does not yet do.

By filling out surveys and questionnaires, “the therapist would know what kind of questions to ask the student, even before the student comes in,” Park added.

Park believes that online surveys would decrease the stereotypes surrounding mental health. If survey results diagnosed a student with a problem, that student would be more encouraged to seek professional help, she said.

“If I wasn’t comfortable with going [to CAPS], I would feel comfortable taking the survey,” she added.

Rising College senior and former Undergraduate Assembly member Mo Shahin said that the UA is working to address the stigma around mental health on campus.

“We are focused on getting students to feel more comfortable going to CAPS and addressing the stereotypes and stigmas surrounding CAPS,” he said.

The UA, along with CAPS and the Office of Student Affairs, is preparing flyers and handouts to give to students with tips to combat stress and where to seek help, Shahin said.

CAPS also offers audio podcasts on mental health topics that are accessible to students. Kumar hopes to offer more audio and video modules in the future.

“We at CAPS are constantly reviewing current trends to figure out best practices regarding use of technology,” Kumar wrote. “Our hope is always to meet a variety of student needs the best that we can and provide the highest quality of care to our students.”

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