Awareness and Barriers to Obtaining Mental Health Services on an Appalachian Region University Campus

This study aims to examine university students’ awareness of mental health services, barriers to obtaining services, and what students would find helpful in making services more attainable on a college campus located in Appalachia. Colleges all over America are reporting dramatic increases in the frequency and severity of students with mental illnesses (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2012). The suicide rate over the past 50 years has tripled among adolescents and young adults, the traditional college aged group, and at a faster rate than that of their same-aged non-college attending peers (Mowbray, Megivern, Mandiberg, Strauss, Stein, Collins, Kopels, Curlin, & Lett, 2006). However, research indicates that between 30 to 60 percent of students are unaware that mental health services are offered on their campus (Yorgason, Linville, & Zitzman, 2008). This study aims to explore if the noted characteristics of Appalachian culture such as being less open to change and keeping outsiders at a distance effect willingness to obtain mental health services as compared to data obtained from universities outside of the Appalachian area (Wilson & Gore, 2009). Participants will be asked to answer questions on their perception of the mental health services at an Appalachian region university (Marshall University) including information regarding their awareness of services provided by the University, how they obtained their information, how they prefer to receive information, barriers to obtaining services, and what supports and services they would find most beneficial. Data is currently being collected