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Psychological Help-Seeking Among College Students: Applying the Multi-Theory Model of Health Behavior Change in
Oluwatoyin E Olatunde1, Dallion Richards1, Page D Dobbs1
1Substance Use and Mental Health Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA (OO, DR, RED); Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA (PDD); Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine/John D. Bower School of Population Health, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA (VKN); Department of Dermatology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA (VKN); and Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA (MS).
Background:
Due to the deleterious effects on psychological health and wellbeing spurred by the pandemic, utilization of telehealth-based care increased over the past few years. The rapid transition from in-person to telehealth-based health service delivery has yet to be fully understood. The aim of the current study was to examine telehealth use for psychological help-seeking among college students using the Multi-theory Model of health behavior change (MTM) as a theoretical framework.
Methods:
A cross-sectional and survey-based study was conducted among students at a large US university (N = 356). Valid and reliable scales were used to measure domains of psychological distress and MTM constructs. Participants were grouped based on past 12-month utilization of telehealth for any mental, emotional, or substance use problems.
Results:
Roughly 67% of the sample reported that they needed help dealing with psychological distress, and 56.1%,43.3%, and 38.7% screened positive for anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, respectively. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation were positively associated with past 12-month telehealth-based help-seeking. Past 12-month telehealth users reported greater advantages, confidence, and emotion direction toward telehealth-based psychological help-seeking than their counterparts. Participants also perceived higher exhibition of behavioral skills and greater social support to aid help-seeking than their counterparts. Advantages and disadvantages as well as behavioral confidence predicted intentions for telehealth-based help-seeking after controlling for anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, perceived stigma, and perceived need for help among both groups.
Conclusion:
The MTM theoretical framework is a valuable framework for predicting telehealth-based psychological help-seeking among college students. Such framework can be used to design and implement mental health programing.
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