Perceived Confidence in Mental Health Help-Seeking among Students

Rebecca A. Vidourek, PhD, CHES, Department of Health Promotion and Education, University of
Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Keith King, PhD, MCHES, Health Promotion and Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Ashley Merianos, PhD, CHES, Department of Health Promotion and Education, University of Cincinnati,
Cincinnati, OH
Laura Nabors, PhD, Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Amanda Lynch, MS, Department of Health Promotion and Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati,
OH
Background: College students are at high risk for mental health disorders. Despite access to mental
health services on campus, many students go without professional help. Additionally, little research has
been done about influence that peers can have in helping a friend seek help for mental health problems.
This study aims to assess the relationship between stigma and an individuals willingness to help a friend
with mental illness among the college population.

Methods: University students (N = 698) enrolled in one Midwestern university participated in the study. A
valid and reliable survey was used to examine college students perceived confidence in mental health
help-seeking behaviors, perceived stigma-related attitudes, and experiences with mental health disorders.
Multivariate analysis of variance was conducted performed to determine whether students perceived
confidence differed based on sex, grade, stigma-related attitudes, and outcome expectations.

Results: Results indicated students were somewhat confident they could help a friend experiencing a
mental health disorder. Significant differences in confidence were found based on sex, grade, holding
stigma-related attitudes, and outcome expectations. More specifically, females, freshman/sophomores,
students with lower stigma-related attitudes, and students with higher outcome expectations were more
likely to feel confident in mental health help-seeking than males, juniors/seniors/graduate students,
students with higher stigma-related attitudes, and students with lower outcome expectations.

Conclusions: Some college students may benefit from education and intervention to increase confidence
in helping others with a mental health problem. Findings from this study may be used by mental health
professionals as well as others working with college students.

International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling

December 2011, Volume 33, Issue 4, pp 266279

Mental Health Stigma, Self-Concealment,

and Help-Seeking Attitudes among Asian
American and European American College
Students with No Help-Seeking Experience
The present study examined whether mental health stigma (i.e., negative
attitudes toward people with a psychological disorder) and self-concealment are
unique predictors of help-seeking attitudes in Asian American and European
American college students with no history of seeking professional psychological
services. The Asian American group had less favorable help-seeking attitudes
overall, lower levels of stigma tolerance and interpersonal openness, greater
mental health stigma, and greater self-concealment than the European
American group. Mental health stigma and self-concealment were unique
predictors of help-seeking attitudes overall in both groups. However, mental
health stigma was not a unique predictor of recognition of need for
psychotherapeutic help and confidence in mental health practitioners, the
components of help-seeking attitudes theorized to be most associated with
actual help-seeking behavior. Self-concealment was a unique predictor of
confidence in mental health practitioners in the Asian American group, but not
in the European American group.