Students seeking help for mental health problems Do Australian university websites provide clear pathways
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Mental health problems in young Australians continue to be a major public health issue. Studying at university can generate social pressures particularly for youth, which have been associated with the onset of a mental illness or a worsening of an existing condition. Many universities provide health services to support students with health problems. However, many young people do not have effective help-seeking strategies and are in need of well-defined pathways to locate appropriate assessment of, and support for, their emotional needs. There has been no Australian study that determines the ease with which students can identify health services. This study involved a systematic search of web sites of 40 Australian universities to identify the types of services offered and their relative accessibility. The use of several key words generally resulted in the identification of a broad range of health services, however, information on 'mental health services' was more difficult to locate. The study makes recommendations for universities to improve accessibility, and develop more supportive policy and inclusive management of mental health problems.
Authors: Thomas A. Laws, Brenton Fiedler
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2210108874