A Unified Digital Environment for Psychosocial Support of Students at Don State Technical University

Introduction. Studying at a higher education institution is associated with high psychoemotional stress for students. This results in a steady increase in anxiety, depression, and suicidal risk among young students. Naturally, the need for psychological support among students is also growing. In a situation where traditional models of psychological support based on face-to-face counseling are unable to cope with the increased demand, a solution can be found in the creation of digital psychological support systems.

Objective. A summary of theoretical approaches to organizing psychosocial support for students and a presentation of a model for a unified digital environment developed and implemented at Don State Technical University.

Psychosocial support for young students: key targets and theoretical approaches. Academic stress, uncertainty about future employment, intense competition, and the need to build new social connections place significant strain on students’ mental health. Students’ attempts to cope with their surrounding problems on their own often lead to disappointing consequences: the development of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and behavioral disorders. A specially organized psychosocial support system can help avoid such negative consequences. An effective support system should include preventive measures, early diagnosis, individual counseling, and crisis support. Digital interventions increase accessibility and meet the communication preferences of modern students.

Experience of creating a unified digital psychosocial support system at Don State Technical University. Don State Technical University has developed a four-tier model of digital psychosocial support for students, which is currently being tested. A key feature of the system is complete anonymity of participation, achieved through the generation of individual access codes that do not contain personal data.

Discussion. An analysis of international digital support systems shows that the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in an electronic format directly depends on the depth of their integration with the educational environment, the intuitiveness of the interface, and the maintenance of in-person support formats as a mandatory component. The model of psychosocial support for students implemented at DSTU overcomes the limitations inherent in traditional forms of support and meets the stated effectiveness criteria. The system ensures continuous support, regular monitoring of psychoemotional state, and the early detection of signs of distress. The presented model can be considered the basis for the development of a unified network of psychosocial support for students in the higher education system.

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