The prevalence of mental illness and psychological distress has increased among post-secondary students in Canada, and this surge is accompanied by heightened demand for mental health services both on-campus and through the hospital-based system. Despite significant efforts to increase the capacity of campus mental health services, there remains a substantial gap in care pathways for students who transition from hospital-based mental health care to campus-centered care. In Canada, less than 50% of youth that access hospital-based mental health care services receive psychiatry-related aftercare following discharge from the hospital, resulting in high rates of re-hospitalization, worsening of illness, and increased health costs.
To address this critical health system gap, the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) partnered to launch the University of Toronto Navigation Service (UTN). Developed in collaboration with students and clinicians, the UTN Service is a navigator intervention dedicated to supporting UofT students as they transition between hospital and campus-centered mental health care.

The NavigateCAMPUS study will evaluate the UTN Service using a one-stage, single arm study design with an accompanying qualitative evaluation. The evaluation will be primarily based on transition success, defined as attending an appointment with an appropriate care provider within 30 days of discharge from CAMH. Additional success indicators include health and economic outcomes, and student and clinician satisfaction.

Improving transitions from hospital-based mental health care to campus-centered care has the potential to result in enhanced continuity of care, improved long term trajectories of mental health and functioning, increased student satisfaction, and reduced burden on campus health and wellness services.