兰德-Evaluation-of-CalMHSA-Student-Mental-Health-Online-Resources_11页_487kb

Summary of the Evaluation of CalMHSA Student Mental Health Online Resources

Core Content

The evaluation report focuses on the usage and reach of student mental health websites developed by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) in collaboration with the California County Superintendent Educational Services Association (CCSESA), the University of California (UC) system, the California State University (CSU) system, and the California Community Colleges (CCC) system. These websites are part of CalMHSA's broader prevention and early intervention (PEI) initiative aimed at improving student mental health across California's K-12 and higher-education systems.

The report uses Google Analytics to assess traffic, user engagement, and access patterns. It highlights the importance of these online resources in promoting mental health awareness and providing tools and information for educators, mental health professionals, students, and parents.

Main Points

• CalMHSA's Objective: Improve student mental health in California's K-12 and higher-education systems through online resources and PEI strategies.
• Target Audiences:
  • CCSESA: Preschool and K-12 teachers, staff, administrators, mental health providers, parents, and community members.
  • UC: Students, staff, faculty, and mental health providers across all UC campuses and affiliated agencies.
  • CSU: Higher-education students and personnel, mental health consumers, and advocates.
  • CCC: Community college staff, faculty, mental health providers, and community partners.
• Website Features:
  • CCSESA: Interactive clearinghouse with 14 resource topics, downloadable materials, and a search function.
  • UC: Comprehensive repository with links to counseling centers, suicide prevention, and training programs.
  • CSU: MHAP website offering resources for mental health promotion, training, and professional development.
  • CCC: Searchable database of mental health programs, policies, and practices across 112 campuses.

Key Findings

CCSESA Website

• Traffic: 21,603 visits and 65,855 page views over 30 months.
• User Engagement: Users averaged 3.04 page views per visit.
• Traffic Sources:
  • 49% via direct access (URL, bookmark, or link in email/PDF).
  • 27% via search engines.
  • 24% via external links.
• Peak Traffic: March 2013, October 2013, March 2014, June 2014, and September–October 2014.
• Search Trends:
  • 188% increase in specific search terms (e.g., "student mental health initiative").
  • 1700% increase in searches for resource topics (e.g., "anger management").
• Most Viewed Topics:
  • "Anger management" (33% of resource section page views).
  • "Mental health/wellness" (14%).
  • "Bullying" (11%).
• Navigation Patterns:
  • 56% of users accessed "Programs & Practices."
  • 42% accessed "Publications & Tools."
  • 3% accessed "Implementation."

UC Website

• Traffic: 5,333 visits and 17,185 page views over 17 months.
• User Engagement: Users averaged 3.22 page views per visit.
• Traffic Sources:
  • 48% via direct access.
  • 43% via search engines.
  • 9% via external links.
• Peak Traffic: November 2013.
• Search Trends:
  • Increase in search engine use from 5% (October–December 2013) to over 40% (April–June 2014).
• Promotional Impact: Direct traffic was linked to email campaigns and promotional activities.

CSU Website

• Traffic: 2,625 visits and 4,605 page views over 12 months.
• User Engagement: Users averaged 1.75 page views per visit.
• Traffic Sources:
  • 67% via search engines.
  • 23% via direct access.
  • 10% via external links.
• Referral Traffic: 43% of referral visits came from Humboldt State University.
• Search Trends:
  • 53% of searches were based on criteria (e.g., topic, population, intended audience).
  • 38% were "view all resources" searches.
  • Only 8% were keyword searches, with diverse terms used.
• Top Criteria Searches:
  • Topic: Threat assessment/Crisis (137 times), Behavioral intervention/Assessment teams (121 times), Mental Health 101 (85 times).
  • Population: First-generation students (80 times), LGBTQ (77 times), General student population (64 times).
  • Intended Audience: Students (63 times), Faculty (55 times), Administration (52 times).

CCC Website

• Traffic: 35,212 visits and 79,890 page views over 23 months.
• User Engagement: Users averaged 2.27 page views per visit.
• Traffic Sources:
  • 64% via direct access.
  • 21% via external links.
  • 15% via search engines.
• Peak Traffic:
  • October–December 2013 (surge in direct visits due to email campaigns).
  • November 2014 (due to a second wave of CalMHSA campus-wide surveys).
• Search Trends:
  • 7,182 total searches and 6,187 unique searches.
  • 8% keyword searches, 53% criteria searches, and 38% "view all resources" searches.
  • Users often browsed rather than searched for specific topics.

Limitations

• Data Accuracy: Some users may not have shared information with Google Analytics, potentially underrepresenting the actual reach.
• User Utility: The report does not assess the perceived utility or quality of the websites from the user’s perspective.
• Target Audience Ambiguity: It is difficult to compare websites due to varying target audiences and content scope.
• Website Evolution: The websites underwent multiple revisions, making it challenging to assess the effectiveness of changes over time.

Conclusions

• The websites have served a large number of users, with combined 64,973 visits and 167,535 page views.
• Direct access is common across all sites, but search engine traffic has increased over time, indicating growing awareness.
• The CCC website has successfully engaged a national audience, while CCSESA and UC have primarily attracted users from within California.
• The findings provide insights into user behavior and access patterns, which can guide future website development and promotion efforts.