Factors predicting help seeking for mental illness among college students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Stigma-related factors influence mental health help-seeking behaviors.
• College students are a demographic disproportionately affected by mental illness.
• Previous research has not examined these factors within a unified model for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine factors contributing to mental illness help-seeking among college students.
• To evaluate a comprehensive model of help-seeking behavior in this demographic.
• To identify specific constructs influencing treatment intentions.

Main Methods:

• Path analysis was employed to evaluate the proposed model.
• Data were collected from 153 college students.
• The study assessed relationships between familiarity, personal stigma, social distance, label avoidance, attitudes, and intentions.

Main Results:

• The study confirmed a model linking familiarity with mental illness to help-seeking intentions.
• Personal stigma, social distance, and label avoidance were significant mediators in the model.
• Attitudes towards treatment seeking were strongly associated with intentions to seek treatment.

Conclusions:

• Interventions should focus on increasing familiarity and intimate contact with individuals with mental illness to reduce stigma.
• Addressing label avoidance and improving attitudes toward treatment seeking are crucial for enhancing help-seeking behaviors.
• Findings have implications for developing targeted mental health interventions in college settings.