Tech savvy and away from home, college students are tapping into telehealth services rather than having to rely solely on student health centers.
Telehealth has become a back-to-school basic for the collegiate set, 71% of whom report using a telehealth service, as compared to 54% of the general population, according to a 2024 study conducted by Hers.
What’s the result of more college students turning to telehealth? 71% of college students also self-identify as “healthy” as compared to 60% of Americans overall, and 31% report their health is “amazing” (a 5 on a 5-point scale) as compared to 21% of the general population.
College students were the most likely of any demographic to say their health has changed for the better in the past three years (47% vs. 37% of the general population).
College students today were in their formative teen years during the pandemic when telehealth services mainstreamed across America (with telemental health care increasing 10x during the pandemic). For many of them, telehealth care is healthcare, so it makes sense that telehealth services are a natural choice for them when they leave their hometowns, and primary care physicians, to go to school.
Gen Z Is More Likely to Access Telehealth Services For Mental Health Care
College students are much more likely than the general population to tap into telehealth services for their mental health needs. 66% have gotten a prescription for their mental health from a telehealth company compared to 55% of the general population.
Furthermore, 68% of college students report being highly emotionally stable as compared to 59% of Americans overall, and 43% report their mental health has improved over the past three years vs. 38% of total respondents.
Research also shows that online mental health interventions, which include web-based self-help, apps, and chatbots, can be effective in managing diverse mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia) among youth.
For Gen Z, a generation known for advocating for mental health awareness, virtual healthcare as a way to make mental health treatment more accessible and less stigmatizing. Underscoring their interest in mental health, 47% of college students have proactively educated themselves about mental health compared to 35% of Americans overall. They’re talking more about things like anxiety and depression and sharing their experiences on social media.
Weight loss products also rank high on college students’ telehealth lists; 64% have purchased a weight loss product from a telehealth company (maybe a weight loss medication, weight loss injections, or weight loss supplement) vs. 53% of the general population.
And then of course there’s sex. Sexual health is the top health care category students’ are utilizing from telehealth companies.
College students aren’t the only group leading the telehealth revolution. Time-strapped parents are also telehealth leaders: 69% of working parents reported using telehealth services, compared to 54% of total respondents.
50 Cities Ranked By Usage of Telehealth Services
Percentage of residents per city who report using telehealth services
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Albuquerque, NM, 91%
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Omaha, NE, 70%
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Honolulu, HI, 69%
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Kansas City, KS, 67%
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Little Rock, AR, 66%
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San Diego, CA, 66%
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Providence, RI, 65%
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St. Louis, MO, 65%
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Baltimore, MD, 64%
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New Orleans, LA, 64%
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Salt Lake City, UT, 64%
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Memphis, TN, 63%
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Milwaukee, WI, 63%
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Austin,TX, 62%
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Birmingham, AL , 62%
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Oklahoma City, OK, 62%
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Norfolk, VA, 61%
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Raleigh, NC, 59%
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Sacramento, CA, 59%
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Indianapolis, IN, 57%
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Phoenix, AZ, 56%
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Denver, CO, 56%
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New Haven, CT, 55%
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Washington DC, 55%
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Detroit, MI, 55%
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Minneapolis, MN, 55%
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Greenville, SC, 54%
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Las Vegas, NV, 54%
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Houston, TX, 53%
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Seattle, WA, 53%
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New York, NY, 51%
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Miami, FL, 51%
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San Antonio, TX, 51%
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Orlando, FL, 50%
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Louisville, KY, 50%
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San Francisco, CA, 50%
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Atlanta, GA, 49%
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Charlotte, NC, 49%
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Chicago, IL, 49%
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Boston, MA, 48%
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Nashville, TN, 48%
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Tampa, FL, 47%
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Philadelphia, PA, 45%
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Dallas, TX, 45%
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Columbus,OH, 43%
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Cleveland, OH, 42%
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Los Angeles, CA, 41%
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Pittsburgh, PA, 40%
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Des Moines, IA, 38%
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Portland, OR, 30%
Data & Methodology
This study is based on a 5,504-person online survey, which included 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in the top 50 metropolitan areas (100 respondents per city) and a nationally representative sample of 504 18-to-65-year-old respondents to contextualize results. The study was fielded in May 2024.
Findings were analyzed by more than 100 demographic and psychographic cuts, including city, region, gender (when we refer to “women” and “men,” we include all people who self-identify as such), age, race and ethnicity, relationship status, parenting status, sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual, queer, etc.), and political affiliation, among other areas of interest.
All data in this study are from this source, unless otherwise noted. Independent research firm, Culture Co-op, conducted and analyzed research and findings.
Tips For Making the Most of Telehealth
Whether you’re a Gen Z-er headed back to college or you’re looking to take a page out of their book and give telehealth a try, here are a few tips to make the most of your virtual visits.
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Write down your questions ahead of time. Before your appointment, write down any questions you have that you want to make sure you ask your provider to ensure you don’t forget anything in the moment.
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Do your research. If you’re interested in prescription weight loss treatments, for example, you might be wondering how to ask your doctor for weight loss pills, like Topiramate, or Ozempic. If you’re interested in mental health medication, you may want to do some research on anxiety medication or depression medication to familiarize yourself with what’s out there so you can ask your provider more informed questions.
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Make sure you know how to log in. Before your appointment, make sure you know where to log in. If it’s a portal and you need to set up an account, do that ahead of time. If there’s an app on your phone, have it downloaded. That way when it comes time for your appointment, you’ll be ready to go and won’t have to worry about any logistics.
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Ask about insurance. Many telehealth companies don’t require insurance and offer transparent pricing for care that’s not only more accessible but can also be more affordable, especially for those without insurance.
This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
More from MediaFeed:
Healthy Agreement: 5 Health Topics That Unite Republicans, Democrats & Independents
While political lines are being drawn left and right (figuratively and actually), there are some topics that bring America together when it comes to personal health.
While they may not see eye-to-eye on issues like abortion and the Affordable Care Act, it turns out that Republicans, Independents, and Democrats see more eye-to-eye than not when it comes to their physical, mental, and even intimacy health, according to a study from Hims. These are the five health topics that connect Americans across party lines.
Depositphotos
Outside of finances and their future, all parties agree that a top source of stress is their weight. 25% of Democrats, 24% of Independents, and 26% of Republicans say their weight is weighing heavily on their mind. Weight even ranked higher than key issues like the state of the world (20% are stressed), climate change (13%), and the upcoming presidential election (12%).
In fact, the majority of all parties (60%) said that their weight was impactful (35%) or very impactful (25%) on how they felt during the day—even more impactful than their social media (45%), their news feeds (46%), what others think of them (49%), and even their job performance (58%).
Furthermore, 72% of Independents and Democrats, and 74% of Republicans agree, “My life would be a lot better if I were 10 pounds lighter.” And two-thirds of Americans of all parties say they are open to prescription weight loss medication.
Depositphotos.com
Republicans, Democrats, and Independents agree on the importance of mental health. When asked what’s more important, their mental well-being or their physical appearance, all parties agreed that their mental health was the top priority: 66% of Democrats and 63% of both Independents and Republicans chose their inner well-being over their outer appearances. 85% of Democrats, 86% of Independents, and 84% of Republicans agree, “I believe the world is facing a mental health crisis.”
What measures do they think we should take to address the issue? Access to mental healthcare tops their list with 90% of Democrats, 89% of Independents, and 86% of Republicans saying that this type of care should be a universal right. Over 70% of each party doesn’t have confidence in the current American healthcare system, particularly when it comes to mental health, and 60% are unsure if their current healthcare covers mental health care.
Visions/istockphoto
Mental health may matter more than physical appearance, but that doesn’t negate the power of a great hair day. In fact, the vast majority of all parties agree that a good hair day improves their mental state: 84% of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans agree, “It’s amazing how much a good hair day can improve my mood,” and over one-quarter of each party say that it improves their mental health.
The power of hair may even spur the economy, with more than 1 in 10 Americans saying great hair inspires them to buy something new.
Here are the top 10 ways a great hair day shapes America’s perception of themselves.
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37% say it boosts my confidence
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27% say it makes me smile more
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26% say it improves my mental health
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20% say it makes me more social
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19% say it makes me more attractive to my partner
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17% say it makes me want to do something special
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15% say it changes others’ perceptions of me
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15% say it inspires me to exercise, or be more healthy
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15% say it makes me want to treat myself or buy something new
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15% say it improves my intimacy life
dolgachov/Istockphoto
Good health may not depend on a great start to the day, but a healthy outlook on life when you wake up sure can’t hurt. Despite the differences among political parties, a perfect morning looks exactly the same. All parties agree it begins with a great night’s sleep, a good cup of coffee, and their partner saying “I love you.” After that, it’s a sunny morning and morning intercourse that rounds out Democrats’, Independents’, and Republicans’ perfect start to the day.
There were a few places the parties diverged, albeit slightly. Republicans were more likely to say that great intercourse the previous night was an added bonus to the next day; Democrats want more personal space than do the other parties; and Independents were more likely to say an inspiring idea was a great way to kick off their day.
What was at the bottom of their list for great ways to start the day? News. What showed up in their news feeds mattered very little, with only 9% saying that it positively influenced their morning.
DepositPhotos.com
All parties agree that more intercourse and less screen time is a good equation. Democrats, Independents, and Republicans equally say their bedroom lives matter more than their social media. When forced to choose one over the other, 56% of Democrats and 57% of both Independents and Republicans chose intercourse over social media.
Independents, however, are the most sensual party. They spend the most on intimacy yearly ($468 vs. $270 among Democrats and $314 among Republicans). What’s more? 21% of Independents have a toy no one knows about vs. 19% of Democrats and 16% of Republicans. Finally, Independents are the most likely of the political parties to say they’d like more experimentation in their bedroom life.
What are Democrats and Republicans looking for to spice up their bedroom life? There were very few differences. Both parties agree that better intercourse begins with more intercourse (#1 answer choice), and better climax (#2). From there, Democrats want less stressful intercourse (#3) and more endurance (#4), whereas Republicans want a better libido (#3) and more confidence (#4). Rounding out both parties’ #5 was more intimate intercourse.
Ridofranz / iStock
This study is based on a 5,504-person online survey, which included 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in the top 50 metropolitan areas (100 respondents per city) and a nationally representative sample of 504 18-to-65-year-old respondents to contextualize results. The study was fielded in May 2024.
Findings were analyzed by more than 100 demographic and psychographic cuts, including city, region, gender (when we refer to “women” and “men,” we include all people who self-identify as such), age, race and ethnicity, relationship status, parenting status, orientation (hetero, bi, gay, lesbian, pan, ace, queer, etc.), and political affiliation, among other areas of interest.
All data in this study are from this source, unless otherwise noted. Independent research firm, Culture Co-op, conducted and analyzed research and findings.
istockphoto/Drazen Zigic
Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating more protein can help you feel fuller for longer between meals and can even help with weight loss.
Get moving. Whether your workout of choice involves a sport or strength training or a walk outside, getting some movement is a great way to start your day.
Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise a week for overall health. If you’re looking to lose weight, some suggest increasing this to 200 to 300 minutes per week (or about 30 to 40 minutes a day).
Try meditation. Regular meditation can provide benefits for your mental and physical health. It can even help with anxiety. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that mindfulness-based treatment may improve stress reactivity and assist with managing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Jacob Wackerhausen / iStock
Rebecca Fondren / iStock
Featured Image Credit: gorodenkoff / iStock.
