College Students\u27 Mental Health Help Seeking Behaviors

In recent years, college students’ mental and emotional health has become a more dominant focus among higher education administrators, faculty members as well as researchers. The present study explored mental health help seeking behaviors among college students and identified how they seek assistance related to behavioral health and substance abuse disorders. The sample consisted of 259 college students at one of the 50 largest public institutions of higher education in the southeastern United States. Thematic analysis was utilized to develop 7 key findings: 1) types of support to family and friends experiencing mental health concerns, 2) most likely resources to use, 3) least likely resources to use, 4) needing help and receiving help, 5) barriers to receiving help, 6) perceptions for change, and 7) online help seeking word choices. Findings confirm that help-seeking is a multifaceted process involving both social and professional supports