Previous research shows that the student population are one of the groups more vulnerable to struggle with mental wellbeing. However, students have been shown to underutilise help services available and do not receive timely treatment. Past literature has suggested some barriers and facilitators that may impact help-seeking hesitancy, however, most research focuses on help seeking intentions rather than actual help seeking behaviours. The current study investigates the barriers and facilitators of student help seeking in a systematic manner through mixed methods approach, utilising Theoretical Domains Framework and COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation - Behaviour) models used for behaviour change. The sample consisted of University of Huddersfield students (N=128) for an online survey and later N=6 participants were chosen for qualitative interviews to explore their experiences, thoughts, and opinions on help-seeking. The findings indicate females are more likely to seek help, but no gender differences were found for help-seeking intentions. Previous mental health help seeking experiences indicate increased intentions to seek help in the future. Mental health literacy was found to have significant negative association with self-stigmatisation, as well as weak positive association with age. Mental health literacy, age, number of help providers known, ethnicity and household income were not found to be significant predictors of both help seeking intentions and actual help seeking in this study; however, it is worth noting the sample’s lack of diversity may offer some reasoning. Qualitative results suggest more nuanced barriers and facilitators for mental health help-seeking, including internalised self-stigma, recognising the need for help and being able to find it, external struggles to accessing help and lack of mental health literacy for recognising symptoms as ‘serious enough.’ Future research suggestions include investigating self-stigma measures considering internalised stigma and conducting research on actual help seeking with larger and more diverse samples. In addition, future research should use the COM-B and TDF models to investigate psychological behaviours holistically with a strong systematic framework. Suggestions for practice include further development of mental health help services to support and guide students through the application process, as well as incorporating mental health literacy education into schooling, university induction and developing targeted mental health literacy interventions to improve mental health service utilisation.
| Date of Award | 12 Nov 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Susanna Kola-Palmer (Main Supervisor) |
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