Predictors of mental health services help-seeking behavior among university students

• Published in: Cogent psychology 2019-01, Vol.6 (1)
• Main Authors: Aldalaykeh, Mohammed, Al-Hammouri, Mohammed M., Rababah, Jehad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: College students; depression; Health services; Help seeking behavior; Literacy; Mental depression; Mental disorders; mental health; Mental health care; theory of planned behavior; University students
• ISSN: 2331-1908; 2331-1908
• DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2019.1660520

University students have a high prevalence rate of mental illness. Mental health services (MHS) are known to be effective but they are underutilized. To predict university students' intention to seek help of MHS. A cross-sectional correlational design was used in this study. One hundred and thirty-four students from two public universities in Jordan were recruited, and were asked to complete a printed questionnaire. Using hierarchical regression modeling, five predictors were included to predict students' intentions: attitudes toward MHS, subjective norm, perceived behavioral controllability, depression level, and depression literacy level. During a psychological stress, only 17 (13.6%) students reported seeking help of MHS as a possible option for them. Students had a very low depression literacy level, and 77 (57.5%) had a mild to moderate level of depression. Three regression steps were created. All steps were statistically significant, and all predictors had a significant effect except depression literacy level in the third step. The first step, which included three predictors (attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral controllability), accounted for 23.5% of explained variance. Attitudes toward MHS were the strongest predictor in all steps. Conducting campaigns about mental illness and the effectiveness of MHS may improve students' literacy levels, and may improve MHS utilization rate.