Originally introduced in 2024 as a digital health platform, Fruto has evolved into the primary gateway for campus mental health services at UNIST. A new study by researchers from UNIST and KAIST suggests that user-centered refinements to the platform fostered more positive attitudes toward seeking professional help and greater confidence in counseling, demonstrating the value of integrating digital health platforms with campus mental health services.

Designed to promote the physical and mental well-being of the UNIST community, Fruto brings together self-screening tools, mental health information, counseling access, healthcare services, and campus program registration within a single mobile platform. Building on the original platform, the research team refined Fruto's mental health functions through a user-centered design process informed by student feedback.

To evaluate those refinements, the researchers conducted a two-phase sequential mixed methods study in a real-world university counseling setting. The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) , examined how a campus-integrated, multidomain digital platform performs within an existing university healthcare system rather than as a stand-alone mental health application.

The first phase of the study involved vignette-based prototype sessions and semistructured interviews with students to explore how they interacted with an early version of the platform in realistic help-seeking scenarios. The sessions identified three key priorities for refinement: 1) Providing trusted and identifiable sources of information, 2) Creating a more seamless experience across platform features, and 3) Offering self-discovery content that felt more relatable to students. These insights guided subsequent improvements to the platform's interface and user experience.

The second phase evaluated the refined platform over an eight-week period. With baseline, participants reported more positive help-seeking attitudes and counseling expectations after using Fruto. While the study found no significant changes in negative attitudes or counseling-related concerns, the findings suggest that campus-integrated, multidomain digital platforms can strengthen positive, approach-oriented beliefs toward professional mental health support.

Unlike many digital mental health applications that focus on individual functions, such as self-screening or psychoeducation, Fruto integrates these services within a single platform while connecting students directly with the UNIST Healthcare Center, creating a more continuous pathway from self-assessment to professional care.

The platform's role within the university has continued to expand alongside its refinement. During the first half of 2026, 122 of 155 first-time requests (78.7%) for mental health services at the UNIST Healthcare Center were submitted through Fruto, compared with 136 of 430 requests (31.6%) in 2025. Since the Healthcare Center adopted Fruto as its primary intake system in March 2026, the platform has become the principal entry point for campus counseling and psychiatric services.

Since its launch, Fruto has registered 852 users, facilitated 589 counseling requests, and recorded 3,291 interactions, including self-screenings and use of mental health resources. In addition to improving access for students, the platform also supports appointment scheduling, counselor assignment, case management, and follow-up, helping streamline mental healthcare delivery at the UNIST Healthcare Center.

The study was led by Professor Sang-Il Lee, Director of the UNIST Healthcare Center and faculty member in the School of Liberal Arts, together with graduate researchers Myungsung Kim, Hyorim Kim, Jeong-in Heo, and Orane Farrah Lahcine from the Graduate School of Medical Science; Professor Hwang Kim of the Department of Design at UNIST; and Research Professor Seonmi Lee and Professor Dooyoung Jung of KAIST.

“Positive expectations about professional counseling are often the first step toward improving mental well-being,” said Professor Sangil Lee, Director of the UNIST Healthcare Center. “We hope Fruto continues to lower barriers to support by providing members of our university community with a trusted pathway to professional care.”