A student mental health support system integrating journaling, sentimental analysis and therapist interaction: Case study Uganda Christian University (UCU)
| dc.contributor.author | Charity Edna Aber | |
| dc.contributor.author | Joshua Kaven Wabuteya | |
| dc.contributor.author | George Guedhe Ademba | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-08-21T08:43:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-08-21T08:43:53Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-05-26 | |
| dc.description | Undergraduate | |
| dc.description.abstract | Mental health challenges among university students have become an increasingly significant concern, affecting academic performance, personal well-being, and overall student success. Despite the availability of counseling services at Uganda Christian University (UCU), many students do not utilize these services due to stigma, fear of social judgment, concerns about confidentiality, and limitations in access to professional counselors. This gap between the availability of support services and their actual utilization highlights the need for innovative approaches that encourage early engagement with mental health support. The aim of this project was to design and develop a digital mental health support system that could complement existing counseling services and provide students with a discreet and accessible platform for emotional expression and self-help. The system incorporated a digital journaling feature that allowed students to record their thoughts and feelings, as well as a sentiment analysis component powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP) that analyzed journal entries to identify emotional patterns and potential signs of distress. In addition, the platform provided access to self-help resources and allowed students to request counseling support when necessary. The study employed an agile system development approach involving requirements analysis, system design, implementation, and testing. Data was gathered through literature review, observation of the existing counseling structure, and interaction with students and counseling staff. The system was implemented first as a web application designed for ease of access through smartphones and other internet enabled devices. Testing results indicated that the system successfully supported student journaling, provided accessible mental health educational resources, and demonstrated the ability to detect emotional tone in journal entries. The platform showed potential to reduce barriers associated with stigma and encourage students to seek support earlier. The study concluded that digital mental health platforms can serve as effective complementary tools to traditional counseling services in higher education institutions. The developed system provided a foundation for future improvements and potential adoption in other universities seeking to strengthen mental health support for their student. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12311/3560 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Uganda Christian University | |
| dc.title | A student mental health support system integrating journaling, sentimental analysis and therapist interaction: Case study Uganda Christian University (UCU) | |
| dc.type | Dissertation |