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Background and objective <p>Mental health problems are widespread among students. Although universities offer a broad spectrum of preventive, counseling-based, and digital services, these are often used only to a limited extent. This gap points less to a&#xa0;lack of services than to structural challenges regarding visibility, accessibility, fit, and integration. The aim of this article is to conceptually discuss digital navigation and recommender systems as a connecting infrastructure for improving orientation and the use of existing support services in the higher education context.</p> Methods <p>This article follows a&#xa0;conceptual approach with a&#xa0;narrative literature basis. Based on selected findings on student mental health, e‑mental health interventions (EMHI), and health recommender systems (HRS), it examines why digital stand-alone services do not solve the underlying navigation and coordination problem of fragmented service landscapes. Using ConnectedHealth@University as an example, a&#xa0;model approach to digital navigation and recommender structures in the higher education context is described.</p> Results <p>EMHI, such as online self-help services, can open up low-threshold access and support preventive self-regulation. Without integration into overarching structures, however, they often remain another stand-alone service within a fragmented service landscape. Thus, they do not solve the underlying orientation and coordination problem. HRS address this issue by linking individual stress and support needs, preferences, and contextual information with structured service data. The research literature on HRS in the field of mental health remains limited, but points to the potential of personalized recommendations for orientation, fit, and use. ConnectedHealth@University illustrates how awareness-building, self-reflection, tailored referrals to existing face-to-face, counseling-based, and digital services as well as feedback and monitoring structures can be integrated in one system.</p> Conclusion <p>The current body of research suggests that mental health promotion in higher education can be strengthened less through the development of additional stand-alone services than through strategically embedded digital navigation structures. This requires structured and maintained service data, clear responsibilities, participatory development, data protection, accessibility, regulatory clarification, and long-term institutional safeguarding.</p>

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Von Fragmentierung zu Vernetzung: Digitale Navigations- und Recommender-Systeme zur Förderung psychischer Gesundheit an Hochschulen

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月30日

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  • Anne-Kathrin Helten,
  • Fatma Sahan,
  • Sophie Nestler,
  • Claudia Buntrock,
  • Johannes Schobel,
  • Rüdiger Pryss,
  • Thomas Probst,
  • Dennis John,
  • Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen

摘要

Background and objective

Mental health problems are widespread among students. Although universities offer a broad spectrum of preventive, counseling-based, and digital services, these are often used only to a limited extent. This gap points less to a lack of services than to structural challenges regarding visibility, accessibility, fit, and integration. The aim of this article is to conceptually discuss digital navigation and recommender systems as a connecting infrastructure for improving orientation and the use of existing support services in the higher education context.

Methods

This article follows a conceptual approach with a narrative literature basis. Based on selected findings on student mental health, e‑mental health interventions (EMHI), and health recommender systems (HRS), it examines why digital stand-alone services do not solve the underlying navigation and coordination problem of fragmented service landscapes. Using ConnectedHealth@University as an example, a model approach to digital navigation and recommender structures in the higher education context is described.

Results

EMHI, such as online self-help services, can open up low-threshold access and support preventive self-regulation. Without integration into overarching structures, however, they often remain another stand-alone service within a fragmented service landscape. Thus, they do not solve the underlying orientation and coordination problem. HRS address this issue by linking individual stress and support needs, preferences, and contextual information with structured service data. The research literature on HRS in the field of mental health remains limited, but points to the potential of personalized recommendations for orientation, fit, and use. ConnectedHealth@University illustrates how awareness-building, self-reflection, tailored referrals to existing face-to-face, counseling-based, and digital services as well as feedback and monitoring structures can be integrated in one system.

Conclusion

The current body of research suggests that mental health promotion in higher education can be strengthened less through the development of additional stand-alone services than through strategically embedded digital navigation structures. This requires structured and maintained service data, clear responsibilities, participatory development, data protection, accessibility, regulatory clarification, and long-term institutional safeguarding.