College Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention: Understanding Students’ Perceptions of Campus Services and Resources and Their Help-Seeking Intentions
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Mental health conditions are prevalent among college students, significantly impacting their academic performance, GPA, and likelihood of dropping out. Despite the high prevalence, students’ help-seeking intentions are notably low, and the barriers and motivations underlying help-seeking remain underexplored. More research is necessary to provide comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the factors that influence college students’ help-seeking intentions to inform the design of evidence-based interventions that enhance students’ help-seeking intentions and actual behavior. A multiple-method design was employed, using an anonymous online survey administered via Qualtrics (N = 501) and in-depth interviews with students from Oregon colleges and universities. Generalized linear models and independent-samples t-test were used to examine the associations among variables of interest, and intentions to seek help from mental health professionals, controlling for demographic characteristics, campus enrollment size, and students’ year of study. Thematic analysis of the interview data was also conducted to identify barriers and facilitators of service access and help-seeking intentions, and to understand how students’ relationships with the campus community are associated with their sense of belonging and help-seeking. The results indicate that mental health service awareness is positively associated with help-seeking intentions, β = 0.12, SE = 0.04, t = 2.43, p = 0.01, 95% CI [0.04, 0.21]. Mental health conditions were a significant positive predictor of help-seeking intentions, β = 0.22, SE = 0.09, t = 4.45, p = <.001, 95% CI [0.13, 0.31]. A positive attitude toward mental health is associated with higher help-seeking intentions, β = 0.30, SE = 0.01, t = 5.24, p = <.001, 95% CI [0.21, 0.38]. Stigma is negatively associated with help-seeking intentions, β = –0.18, SE = 0.02, t = -3.88, p = <.001, 95% CI [–0.27, 0.10]. Students from other races/ethnicities experience more barriers to help-seeking compared to White students. Students who feel isolated tend to report depression and experience suicidal thoughts. Additionally, students with a sense of belonging on campus reported higher intentions to seek help for mental health conditions. The implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Author: Koomson, Vivian
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7165425827