Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: January 17, 2025
Chinese university students' help-seeking behaviors when faced with mental health challenges
1Department of Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai, China.
Background:
Mental illnesses and mental health challenges have become increasingly pervasive among Chinese university students. However, the utilization rate of mental health services is low among students.
Aims:
We aimed to explore Chinese university students' help-seeking behaviors to understand how they deal with mental health challenges and use the results to inform the development of effective mental health promotion initiatives.
Methods:
In this study, we conducted 13 focus group interviews with students in six universities in Jinan, China, including 91 (62%) female students and 56 (38%) male students. We drew on the Theory of Planned Behaviors to guide our thematic analysis to gain a contextual understanding of participants' accounts on help-seeking.
Results:
Our results have depicted the help-seeking patterns of Chinese university students and show that there are four major behaviors which are self-reliance, seeking support from peers and families, seeking professional support, and accessing virtual mental health care.
Conclusion:
Results from this study can be used to inform the development of mental health literacy programming for students in universities that share similar contexts, and the study has also opened up a new space for using qualitative approaches to study mental health needs and access to care in diverse populations.
Related Concept Videos
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Self-Help Support Groups
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Coping Strategies: Problem Focused
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...

