Psychological Distress, Stigma, and Help-Seeking Propensity Among College Students (Faculty Sponsor: Caroline Mann)

Hinza Malik \u2721 “Psychological Distress, Stigma, and Help-Seeking Propensity Among College Students” (Faculty Sponsor: Caroline Mann) National epidemiological research shows that roughly half of the college population had a psychiatric disorder, but less than 25% of the students sought treatment in the past year (Blanco et al., 2008). According to the 1999 Surgeon General\u27s Report and numerous subsequent studies, mental health stigma remains the number one barrier to seeking mental health treatment. Reducing barriers to help-seeking among college students is essential because approximately 75% of lifetime mental health disorders have their onset before the age of 24 (Kessler et al., 2005). Therefore, this project explores help-seeking propensity, psychological distress, and mental health stigma among undergraduate students at Hollins University. A total of 111 participants completed the online survey. The Kessler psychological distress scale\u27s mean score was in the range indicative of ˜likely to have a mild disorder. This elevation may be related to collecting data during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that personal stigma and perceived peer stigma were significantly associated with help-seeking, whereas perceived public stigma was not. Moreover, Asian-American/Asian and non-psychology majors had a higher personal stigma. 50 respondents reported having received treatment for mental health problems in the past year, whereas three refused treatment and 58 reported they did not receive any treatment. The majority of students indicated they would speak with mental health professionals or faculty if mental health problems were affecting their academic performance. Only 20 participants indicated that they would talk with no one. The results can help guide future stigma reduction campaigns