Predictors of Faculty Intentions to Refer Students with Mental Health Concerns to Mental Health Professionals

Abstract College students’ mental health has become a crucial issue in recent years after the violent acts at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and Northern Illinois University (Kraft, 2011). The National College Health Assessment conducted by the American College Health Association found that one in twelve college students reported having seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months (American College Health Association, 2014). The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify belief-based predictors of faculty members’ intentions to refer students with mental health concerns to a mental health professional. The participants were N = 149 faculty members at a single, Midwestern public university. The participants completed a Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) questionnaire regarding referral-related beliefs and intentions. Data collected were analyzed using multiple linear regressions to determine if the independent variables contributed to the statistical prediction of the intention to refer students. The findings of the study revealed faculty members’ attitudes, subjective norms, prior knowledge of mental health concerns, and academic discipline (math and computer science disciplines) were significant predictors of intentions to refer students with mental health concerns. Determining these predictors assist gatekeeper trainers to design curricula that will increase the likelihood of faculty to refer students with mental health concerns. Identifying and connecting students to needed mental health services will improve campus communities