Study title

E-mental health services (eMHSs) offer a promising approach to promote mental health among post-secondary students. Still, many university students are reluctant to use eMHSs, and little is known about effective communication strategies to improve attitudes as antecedents of eMHS acceptance. The aim of this experiment was thus to explore the effects of information varying in the degree of targeting on students ́attitudes towards eMHSs. Four hundred fifty-one students (Mean=32.6 years, SD=10.2, 75% female) were randomly assigned to one of four study arms. While all participants read the same general information that also served as control condition (arm 1, “information only”, n=116), the other three experimental arms additionally received information and testimonials on specific eMHSs differing in addressed target groups. These testimonials were either unspecific (arm 2, n=112), targeted to employees (arm 3, n=115) or targeted to students (arm 4, n=108). We analyzed attitudes towards eMHSs for stress coping and therapy, as well as potential determinants of attitude change. Two-way ANOVA revealed no impact of providing information on the alteration of attitudes towards eMHSs for stress coping (d =0.20). Only a significant but small effect of targeted testimonial on attitudes towards online therapies was identified at post-intervention (d =0.29). Regression analyses revealed statistically significant positive influences of source credibility and perceived similarity on attitude (ps