Analysis of visitors to CalMHSA-funded student mental health websites shows that visitors at educational institutions comprised the largest audience segment and promotional campaigns likely increased traffic.

Evaluation of CalMHSA Student Mental Health Online Resources

Lisa Sontag-Padilla, Courtney Ann Kase, Michelle W. Woodbridge, Bradley D. Stein

ResearchPublished Mar 14, 2016

Analysis of visitors to CalMHSA-funded student mental health websites shows that visitors at educational institutions comprised the largest audience segment and promotional campaigns likely increased traffic.

Key Takeaways

  • Most users accessed the websites directly, suggesting that awareness campaigns such as emails with direct links to the sites were valuable promotional efforts.
  • One of the higher education websites drew more users from outside California than expected, suggesting a national engagement with the site.
  • Internet service provider data indicate that the majority of users visiting the higher education sites and the K-12 site came from educational institutions.
  • Peaks in website usage suggest that promotional efforts may have successfully increased traffic immediately after release.
  • Analysis of site usage indicates a user appetite for browsing available databases and resources on student mental health issues.

Recommendation

Efforts to sustain and publicize CalMHSA-funded student mental health websites—and cross-promote their content between sites—are worth pursuing in order to encourage students' use of content.

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Citation

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Sontag-Padilla, Lisa, Courtney Ann Kase, Michelle W. Woodbridge, and Bradley D. Stein, Evaluation of CalMHSA Student Mental Health Online Resources. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2016. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1266.html.
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