Research Review: Help-seeking intentions, behaviors, and barriers in college students – a systematic review and meta-analysis

IF 7 1区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Pub Date : 2025-03-12 DOI:10.1111/jcpp.14145

Ruiying Zhao, Yagmur Amanvermez, Julia Pei, Franchesca Castro-Ramirez, Charlene Rapsey, Claudia Garcia, David D. Ebert, Josep Maria Haro, Liviu A. Fodor, Oana A. David, Osiris Rankin, Sook Ning Chua, Vania Martínez, Ronny Bruffaerts, Ronald C. Kessler, Pim Cuijpers

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The prevalence of mental health problems among college students has increased over the past decade. Even when mental health services are available, many students still struggle to access these services. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the rates at which students actively seek or consider using formal help and to determine the main reasons for not seeking help.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase to identify studies on help-seeking behaviors, intentions, and barriers to help-seeking among college students with mental health problems. Random effect models were used to calculate the pooled proportions.

Results

Of the 8,919 identified studies, 62 met the inclusion criteria and were included (n = 53 on help-seeking behaviors, n = 21 on help-seeking intentions, and n = 14 on treatment barriers). The pooled prevalence of active help-seeking behaviors was 28% (179,915/435,768 individuals; 95% CI: 23%–33%, I² = 99.6%), and the aggregated prevalence of help-seeking intentions was 41% (62,456/80161 individuals; 95% CI: 26%–58%, I² = 99.8%). Common barriers reported by students included a preference to address issues on their own, time constraints, insufficient knowledge of accessible resources, and a perceived lack of need for professional help.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the gap between the mental health needs of the students and their actual help-seeking rates. Although personal barriers are common, systemic or contextual challenges also affect college students' help-seeking behaviors.

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研究综述：大学生寻求帮助的意图、行为和障碍——系统综述和荟萃分析。

背景：在过去的十年中，大学生心理健康问题的患病率有所上升。即使有心理健康服务，许多学生仍然难以获得这些服务。本系统回顾和荟萃分析旨在确定学生积极寻求或考虑使用正式帮助的比率，并确定不寻求帮助的主要原因。方法：在PubMed、PsycINFO、Embase等网站上进行文献检索，对大学生心理健康问题的求助行为、意向和求助障碍进行研究。采用随机效应模型计算合并比例。结果：在8919个确定的研究中，62个符合纳入标准并被纳入（n = 53关于求助行为，n = 21关于求助意图，n = 14关于治疗障碍）。主动求助行为的总患病率为28%(179,915/435,768人；95% CI: 23% ~ 33%, I2 = 99.6%)，寻求帮助意向的总患病率为41% (62,456/80161；95% ci: 26%-58%, i2 = 99.8%)。学生报告的常见障碍包括倾向于自己解决问题、时间限制、对可用资源的了解不足以及认为不需要专业帮助。结论：研究结果突出了学生心理健康需求与实际求助率之间的差距。虽然个人障碍很常见，但系统或环境挑战也会影响大学生的求助行为。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

13.80

自引率

5.30%

发文量

169

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP) is a highly regarded international publication that focuses on the fields of child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry. It is recognized for publishing top-tier, clinically relevant research across various disciplines related to these areas. JCPP has a broad global readership and covers a diverse range of topics, including: Epidemiology: Studies on the prevalence and distribution of mental health issues in children and adolescents. Diagnosis: Research on the identification and classification of childhood disorders. Treatments: Psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions for child and adolescent mental health. Behavior and Cognition: Studies on the behavioral and cognitive aspects of childhood disorders. Neuroscience and Neurobiology: Research on the neural and biological underpinnings of child mental health. Genetics: Genetic factors contributing to the development of childhood disorders. JCPP serves as a platform for integrating empirical research, clinical studies, and high-quality reviews from diverse perspectives, theoretical viewpoints, and disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach is a key feature of the journal, as it fosters a comprehensive understanding of child and adolescent mental health. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry is published 12 times a year and is affiliated with the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), which supports the journal's mission to advance knowledge and practice in the field of child and adolescent mental health.