Download Free Examining The Underutilization Of Mental Health Services By Measuring Help Seeking Attitudes Among University Students Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Examining The Underutilization Of Mental Health Services By Measuring Help Seeking Attitudes Among University Students and write the review.

Research shows that mental health services are generally underutilized. The impact of untreated mental health disorders is pervasive and poses social concerns for all communities. Therefore, there is a need to understand why mental health services are not being utilized. Help-seeking attitudes, stigma, ethnicity, gender, and counseling exposure have been identified as significant deterrents to individuals seeking mental health services. However, there are gaps in the literature related to how these factors impact students on college campuses. Therefore, it was the goal of this study to examine the implications of ethnicity, gender, and counseling exposure on help-seeking attitudes. The results of the study indicated there are no statistically significant differences in ethnicity and help-seeking attitudes. However, there were statistically significant differences in help-seeking attitudes among participants who reported exposure to counseling and no exposure to counseling. Additionally, there were statistically significant differences in gender and help-seeking attitudes, with females being more likely to seek mental health counseling than male university students.
This study investigated the relationship between public stigma, self-stigma, and help-seeking attitudes in a sample of undergraduate student-athletes. Student-athletes appear to be at increased risk for developing mental health issues compared to their non-athlete counterparts (Etzel et al., 2006). However, student-athletes appear to underutilize available mental health services for fear of being labeled as mentally ill as well as other factors (Pinkerton, Hinz, and Barrow, 1989). The purpose of the current study is to explore two facets of stigma as a potential explanation for negative attitudes toward help-seeking and thus the underutilization of these mental health services. Sixty-six student-athletes completed a 10-minute paper-pencil survey. The survey included measures of self-stigma, public stigma, help-seeking attitudes, demographic variables, and an open-ended question regarding barriers to help-seeking. Results indicated that self-stigma mediated the relationship between public stigma and help-seeking attitudes, which replicates the mediated model found in Vogel et al. (2007). Self-stigma appears to explain how negative stereotypes about those who seek help are internalized to form negative attitudes toward help-seeking for student-athletes. Further, student-athletes noted barriers to help-seeking such as lack of time or knowledge of resources as well as fear of being labeled as mentally ill. Implications for research and practice are delineated.
This study sought to understand why college students of Mexican origin underutilize mental health services (i.e., university counseling services). Previous research has identified several potential reasons for the underutilization of mental health services by Mexican Americans. These reasons can be grouped into one of three categories: (1) negative attitudes toward mental illness and mental health services, (2) greater use of alternative, informal resources, and (3) barriers. To examine these factors in the context of help-seeking behavior, Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used. The TPB assumes that the best predictor of a certain behavior is an individual's intention to perform that specific behavior. This model includes three determinants of the intent to perform a certain behavior: (1) attitudes toward the behavior, (2) subjective normative beliefs about performing the behavior, and (3) perceived behavioral control of performing the behavior. The primary aim of this study was to examine the meditating effects of culture on the TPB and investigate the unique factors contributing to help-seeking behavior in college students of Mexican origin reporting anxious and/or depressive symptoms. Results showed that the TPB was effective in predicting help-seeking behavior, with attitudes and subjective normative beliefs as the strongest predictors. Acculturation and cultural values did not mediate the TPB model as originally predicted, however the TPB determinants differed in predictability between help-seekers and non help-seekers. Specifically, among help-seekers, attitudes predicted intent to seek psychological services; among non help-seekers, subjective normative beliefs predicted intent. Help-seekers also reported more ease than non help-seekers on a few of the steps toward help-seeking. Lastly, qualitative measures supported findings based on the TPB and provided additional support for the strong stigmatizing views among college students of Mexican origin. These findings suggest that non help-seekers are a complex group and other variables, such as acculturative stress, perceived social support, and screening participants on perceived symptom distress and impairment, need to be addressed. In addition, subjective normative beliefs need to be considered in the development of psychoeducational interventions which encourage seeking psychological services for individuals of Mexican origin experiencing significant anxious or depressive symptoms.
The primary objective of this study was to create and test an intervention designed to increase students0́9 positive attitudes toward utilizing mental health services. A review of the literature was conducted to establish the guidelines for creating an intervention that would effectively influence attitudes while being relatively easy to customize and adapt to different settings. The content of the intervention was informed by the literature, reviewed by a panel of experts, and tested with a focus group of students before being finalized. In order to test the effectiveness of the intervention, and experimental study was designed which included an experimental and control group. The control group had the same experience as the experimental group except for the content of the intervention. The control group intervention provided general health information related to topics such as diet and exercise. Student underutilization of counseling services on college campuses is a well- recognized phenomenon. By improving student attitudes toward seeking counseling, it is hypothesized that more students who could benefit from such services would indeed seek them out. This is particularly important as the rates of suicide and serious mental illness on college campuses has increased over the years. Students who receive appropriate treatment for mental health concerns often experience significant improvement. Those students whose mental health is improved may perform better academically than those who remain untreated. Healthier students have the opportunity to be more productive and successful members of the campus community. The intervention was designed to be low cost so that it could be updated and tailored for different institutions. It was also created to be disseminated over the internet to reduce obstacles for students who may wish to view it. The intervention included music, narration, pictures, and animated text to capture the attention of the viewer. The production was accomplished using low-cost software that does not require expert skills to operate. The intervention showed significant effects on the first two subscales of the attitude measure (i.e., psychological openness and help-seeking propensity), but did not show statistical significance on the third (i.e., indifference to stigma) or on the intent to seek counseling measure (ISCI). Future studies could explore improvements to the current intervention and could examine the effects of the intervention over time (i.e., longitudinal design).
This is an open access book. The Unima International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanity (UNICSSH) 2022 was conducted on October, 11th – 13th 2022, at The Grand Kawanua International City, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. In 2022, Universitas Negeri Manado will host the Indonesian National Education Convention (KONASPI) X. Konaspi is a routine activity of the PPTKN which is held once every four years. The fourth industrial revolution (4.0) is marked by technological advances and supported by artificial intelligence that creates opportunities and challenges for the education system. University and vocational school graduates are facing a world transformed by technology which in turn is transforming the workplace from task-based to human-centered characteristics. Certain skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, cognitive flexibility, and knowledge production are required. To answer this demand, the education system must put revolutionary innovation on its agenda. Scholars, researchers, and practitioners are invited to share ideas, research results, and best practices about education, science, and technology now and in the future at an international conference held by Universitas Negeri Manado as part of the Indonesian National Education Convention (KONASPI). As part of KONASPI X activities, Universitas Negeri Manado is holding the 2022 International Conference on Education, Social Science, and Humanities (ICESSHum). The topics in this international conference are Education, Law, Politics and Social Sciences, Economics, Public Administration, and Humanities. Through these themes, it is expected to involve many professionals who have indirect roles in related fields. To enrich this event, the committee invites all national and international participants (including academics, researchers, professionals, and other relevant stakeholders) to send research papers or review papers to be presented at the conference.
Recent statistics indicate that approximately 40% of students enrolled on U.S. college and university campuses report experiencing at least 1 mental health problem in the previous 12 months. Despite the documented benefits of counseling and mental health services on academic performance and degree attainment, only about 10% of mentally and emotionally distressed students ever seek professional help. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to gain a better understanding of why, among college students experiencing similar types of mental and emotional distress, some seek help, whereas most do not. For this study, 2 samples of students were recruited from 1 large, research university campus. The first was a clinical sample and consisted of distressed students who were attending a first screening appointment at the university's counseling center. The second was a random sample of students from the general student population who demonstrated levels of distress similar to the first sample, but who had chosen not to seek professional help. Participants in both samples completed 4 study instruments used for collecting demographic data, as well as data pertaining to help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking behaviors, treatment barriers, types of distress, and levels of distress. Data from both groups were combined to examine what variables contribute to the prediction of who, among similarly distressed college students, chooses to seek professional help and who does not. Of particular interest was the role that treatment barriers related to the affordability, availability, accessibility, and acceptability of mental health services might play in distinguishing help-seekers from non-help-seekers. A binary logistic regression model revealed that treatment-related barriers associated with cost of services, not knowing what services are available, and stigma were found to be significant predictors of help-seeking behavior. Among person-related barriers, measures of depression, generalized anxiety, eating concerns, and substance use were found to be significant predictors of help-seeking behavior. Another person-related barrier, help-seeking attitude, was found to be a significant predictor, but showed a lower rate of accuracy in predicting help-seeking behavior than the other significant predictors. A discussion of these findings is presented, along with associated implications for college campus stakeholders and directions for further research.
This book describes the reasoned action approach, an integrative framework for the prediction and change of human social behavior. It provides an up-to-date review of relevant research, discusses critical issues related to the reasoned action framework, and provides methodological and conceptual tools for the prediction and explanation of social behavior and for designing behavior change interventions.
"Compared with other young adults, university students exhibit more mental health problems, and consequent service needs. However, like other young adults, they are reluctant to use available targeted services such as student counselling. There is evidence to suggest that delayed treatment can not only impact academic performance but also students' social and cognitive outcomes later in life. As a precursor to interventions aimed at increasing university students' use of mental health services and improving their mental health, research is needed to elucidate the influential factors in the help-seeking process. The two most widely used theories in this area, respectively predicting intention to use services and actual service use, are the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. The Theory of Planned Behavior asserts that intention is an immediate determinant of behaviour. As such, researchers have endeavoured to investigate the factors associated with help-seeking intentions in order to enrich understanding of university students' use of mental health services. However, published findings have been inconsistent. To consolidate the literature on help-seeking intentions, a meta-analytic review (Study 1) investigated the psychosocial correlates of university students' intentions to seek professional mental health care. Eighteen eligible studies with 6,839 participants were identified through a comprehensive search of nine electronic databases. The results indicated that attitudes toward seeking professional help and anticipated benefits had the strongest relationships with students' help-seeking intentions, whereas Asian cultural values, public stigma, and anticipated risks demonstrated small correlations with intentions. No significant relationships were observed between help-seeking intentions and social support, self-disclosure, self-concealment or psychological distress. However, because the relationship between intention and actual behaviour is not clear-cut, predictors of students' intentions to seek mental health care may not have impact on their actual use of mental health services. Accordingly, some researchers have employed the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use - a key theoretical framework for explaining and understanding individuals' healthcare use - to examine direct predictors of young adults' or university students' actual service use. Conflicting findings have again emerged. In Study 2, a systematic review with effect sizes, the associations between different biopsychosocial variables (e.g., gender, social support and psychological distress) and young adults' use of mental health services were formally combined and evaluated. Although the initial focus of this systematic review (as for the overall project) was on university students, preliminary searches revealed few published correlational studies of university students' service usage. The sampling criteria were therefore widened to specify young adults (a category to which most university students belong). Eighteen eligible studies, resulting in a total of 96,297 participants, were identified through systematic searches of nine electronic databases. The findings, in combination, identified that prior service use, gender, ethnic background, and sexual orientation, together with evaluated and perceived need for professional help, were significant predisposing and need variables associated with young adults' actual service use. The results of Studies 1 and 2 were largely based on help-seeking research that had been conducted in the United States, highlighting a need to explore help-seeking intentions and the use of mental health services among domestic university students from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, integrated models were needed to examine and explain the interactions between identified predictor variables, help-seeking intentions, and actual service usage. These research needs were addressed in Studies 3 and 4, which utilised structural equation modelling and logistic regression analyses to assess the impact of different biopsychosocial variables on mainland Chinese and Australian domestic university students' help-seeking intentions and their use of mental health services. For Study 3, a sample of 1,128 mainland Chinese university students (mean age = 20 years; SD = 1.48) was recruited: 630 males and 498 females completed an online survey comprising standardised psychometric measures in Mandarin. The proposed model of help-seeking intentions, which integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, exhibited a good fit to the study data. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control significantly mediated the relationships between gender, Asian cultural values, social support, evaluated need, anticipated benefits, anticipated risks, public stigma, self-stigma and help-seeking intentions. Actual service usage in the preceding 12 months was significantly predicted by help-seeking intentions, perceived behavioural control, frequency of exposure to mental health service related information, self-rated mental health status, and perceived need for help. In Study 4, a similar online survey was completed in English by 611 Australian domestic university students (209 males and 402 females; mean age = 21 years, SD = 5.6). This study built on Study 3, by developing and testing four help-seeking models, and found that the model proposed and tested in Study 3 also resulted in the best fit for the Australian data. Attitudes and subjective norms significantly mediated the effects of knowledge of mental health and services, Asian cultural values, evaluated and perceived need, anticipated benefits, public stigma, and self-stigma on Australian students' help-seeking intentions. Significant predictors of service use included help-seeking intentions, perceived behavioural control, gender, study major, knowledge of mental health, Asian cultural values, social support, income, self-rated mental health status, and perceived need. In combination, these four empirical studies have addressed key gaps in the research literature regarding university students' mental health help-seeking. Moreover, Studies 3 and 4 make an important contribution to current knowledge concerning formal help-seeking behaviour and intentions by mainland Chinese and Australian domestic university students. There are a number of implications for theory and future research directions in addition to practice by education providers, mental health professionals and policy makers. From a theoretical perspective, the project provides empirical support for the applicability of both the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use to understanding university students' mental health help-seeking. From a practical standpoint, the findings suggest that to stimulate mental health service use, education providers and mental health professionals should consider psycho-educational and marketing campaigns, to enhance understanding of mental health disorders and services among university students, their families and friends, in addition to reducing stigma concerns and normalising service use within this vulnerable population. Future longitudinal research will be helpful to extend the current findings by examining causal relationships between the identified biopsychosocial variables, university students' help-seeking intentions, and their actual use of mental health services." -- abstract, pages iv-vii.
Many college students suffering from mental illness in the United States do not seek appropriate mental health care, even though treatment is known to have positive effects on functioning and wellbeing (Blanco et al., 2008). Mental illness stigma is considered an important barrier to emerging adults' help-seeking. Recent mental health interventions aimed at increasing the use of mental health services have been designed to reduce the stigma associated with help-seeking. Many of these efforts, however, have not focused specifically on interventions for a college campus, nor targeted the interventions for this audience. The current study examined the efficacy, in terms of reducing stigma and influencing help-seeking attitudes and intentions, of a targeted mental health intervention for college students, compared to an existing non-stigma focused mental health intervention. One hundred and twenty-nine college students at University of Maryland, Baltimore County participated in one of two mental health interventions: (1) Targeted Mental Health workshop (TMH): contact video featuring college students speaking about their mental illnesses followed by a facilitated group discussion, (2) Usual Care workshop (UC): information on stress and anxiety as well as campus resources for counseling. Overall, both workshops appeared to improve help-seeking attitudes and intentions (though TMH had a larger effect, partial eta squared = .38, compared to UC, partial eta squared = .11) and decrease social stigma, immediately post-test, although the workshops did not appear to have lasting effects at the follow-up. Results suggest that both the educational approach of the UC workshop and the targeted contact approach of the TMH workshop may be effective in changing immediate attitudes in a college student population.