Barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for common mental disorders among university students: a systematic review

Joyce Lui · Ilyas Sagar-Ouriaghli · June S. L. Brown

100 citations0/0 files storedJournal of American College Health

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Mental Health Treatment and Access Student Stress and Coping Gender Roles and Identity Studies

Abstract

Objectives: Common mental disorders affect high proportions of university students. This systematic review aims to summarize the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for depression and anxiety among university students and provide evidence to improve mental health services. Methods: EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were searched for eligible papers. Inclusion criteria: (1) published between 1990 and 2021, (2) written in English, (3) had qualitative or quantitative methodology, (4) involved university students, (5) students had depression or anxiety, (6) students were explicitly asked about barriers and facilitators, (7) >60% of study population had mental illness. Results: Ten studies were included into this review. The most common barriers were self-reliance, stigma, and poor mental health literacy. Good mental health literacy and social encouragement were significant facilitators. Conclusions: Universities could encourage help-seeking by targeting stigma and increasing mental health literacy. Future research could explore the role of self-reliance in help-seeking and identify more facilitators.

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References

2001The PHQ-9 2005Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis 2009The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration 2005Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication 2001Conceptualizing Stigma 2004How stigma interferes with mental health care.2010Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review 2014What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies

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2022Public Health Approaches to Promoting University Students’ Mental Health: A Global Perspective 2025Research Review: Help‐seeking intentions, behaviors, and barriers in college students – a systematic review and meta‐analysis 2023Anxious, Depressed, and Suicidal: Crisis Narratives in University Student Mental Health and the Need for a Balanced Approach to Student Wellness 2023Willing and unwilling digital cyborg assemblages: University students talk about mental health apps

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