The WHO World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) Initiative, coordinated at international level by Harvard University and World Health Organization, is designed to:
- generate accurate epidemiological data on unmet needs for treatment of mental, substance, and behavioral disorders among college students worldwide;
- implement and evaluate web-based interventions for both the prevention and treatment of these disorders; and disseminate the evidence-based interventions found to be effective using a continuous quality improvement approach according with precision medicine procedures.
Babes-Bolyai University through DATA Lab and Babes-Bolyai “PsyTech” Psychological Clinic is the coordinator for the national level comprised of 14 universities: Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, University of Bucharest, “Ovidius” University of Constanta, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, West University of Timisoara, University of Oradea, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, University of Craiova, Transilvania University of Brașov, Politehnica University Timisoara, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, the Western University “Vasile Goldiş and Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti.
DATA Lab is conducting three major projects inside the WMH-ICS:
1. Assessment
Annual WMH-ICS surveys with representative samples of college students in colleges and universities throughout the world are used to estimate prevalence of mental disorders, adverse consequences (on the personal, social, and academic levels) of these disorders, patterns of help-seeking for these disorders, and barriers to treatment. Longitudinal data collection with the same students across years is used to monitor changes in incidence, prevalence and treatment of these disorders throughout the college years as well as to identify modifiable risk and protective factors.
More information: https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/wmh/college_student_survey.php
2. Online interventions
We implemented a clinical trial where we tested an online group intervention comparatively with the online therapeutic game and mood monitoring app.

3. Qualitative interviews
We implemented a qualitative interview to assess students` opinions about mental health and barriers to treatment. These interviews were further be analyzed, and based on the results, psychological interventions will be adapted for them.
