Student mental health profiles and barriers to help seeking: When and why students seek help for a mental health concern

Background

The student mental health landscape in higher education requires preventative strategies that maintain daily functioning as well as early intervention to respond to episodes of mental ill-health. As a community, this requires capturing the needs of students in the general university population as well as those using counselling and psychological wellbeing services.

Aims

This cross-sectional study aimed to characterise the mental health profile of students in the general university population and identify barriers to help seeking.

Methods

A total of 1,956 students from five UK universities completed an online questionnaire comprising the CCAPS-34 and open-ended questions about their mental health concerns and intentions to seek help. Mental health profiles were explored using mixed factorial ANOVAs and post hoc simple effect analyses. Help-seeking behaviours and intentions were identified using conceptual content analysis.

Results

Distinctive mental health profiles emerged across faculties and help-seeking behaviours. Content analysis identified students’ help-seeking experiences, intentions, preferences and barriers.

Conclusions

Characterising the mental health profile of students outside of support services, as well as their barriers to seeking help, provides a rich understanding for shaping preventative policies and service provision. Doing so will respond to student mental health needs before they require clinical intervention.