Examining mental health literacy, help seeking behaviours, and mental health outcomes in UK university students
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-05-2016-0027 |
| Date | 13 March 2017 |
| Published date | 13 March 2017 |
| Pages | 111-120 |
| Author | Paul Gorczynski,Wendy Sims-schouten,Denise Hill,Janet Clare Wilson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
Examining mental health literacy, help
seeking behaviours, and mental health
outcomes in UK university students
Paul Gorczynski, Wendy Sims-schouten, Denise Hill and Janet Clare Wilson
Abstract
Purpose –Many university students in the UK experience mental health problems and little is known about
their overall mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain
levels of mental health literacy in UK university students and to examine whether mental health literacy is
associated with better mental health outcomes and intentions to seek professional care.
Design/methodology/approach –A total of 380 university students at a university in the south of England
completed online surveys measuring multiple dimensions of mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviour,
distress, and well-being.
Findings –Mental health literacy in the students sampled was lower than seen in previousresearch. Women
exhibited higher levels of mental health literacy than men and postgraduate students scored higher than
undergraduate students. Participants with previous mental health problems had higher levels of mental health
literacy than those with no history of mental health problems. Individuals were most likely to want to seek
support from a partner or family member and most participants indicated they would be able to access
mental health information online. Mental health literacy was significantly positively correlated with help-
seeking behaviour, but not significantly correlated with distress or well-being.
Practical implications –Strategies, such as anonymous online resources, should be designed to help UK
university students become more knowledgeable about mental health and comfortable with seeking
appropriate support.
Originality/value –This study is the first to examine multiple dimensions of mental health literacy in UK
university students and compare it to help-seeking behaviour, distress, and well-being.
Keywords Attitudes, University students, Mental health literacy, Help-seeking behaviour
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Research shows that university students exhibit a great deal of vulnerability with respect to
experiencing mental health difficulties (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2011; Storrie et al., 2010;
Universities UK, 2015). According to the National Student Survey (NSS), which was conducted
for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Students (2015), 78 per cent of university students in the
UK indicated they have experienced some form of mental health difficulty in the previous
academic year. Mental health problems impair functions of daily living and can range from minor
everyday occurrences, such as feelings of worry or stress, to serious long-term conditions,
including anxiety or depressive disorders (Mind, 2014). Evidence has shown that stress, a lack of
energy and motivation, and feelings of unhappiness or being “down”, as the commonly cited
mental health problems reported by UK university students (National Union of Students, 2013).
Most troubling are the findings that 33 per cent of students have contemplated suicide at least
once in the previous academic year (All Party Parliamentary Group on Students, 2015). Findings
from a large-scale web-based US study found prevalence rates of 17.3 per cent for depression,
7 per cent for generalised anxiety, and 6.3 per cent for suicide ideation among university
students (Eisenberg et al., 2013). Mental health problems, such as depressive and anxiety
Received 31 May 2016
Revised 16 September 2016
Accepted 4 October 2016
Paul Gorczynski is based at the
Department of Sport and
Exercise, University of
Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
Wendy Sims-schouten is a
Senior Lecturer at the School of
Education and Continuing
Studies, University of
Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
Denise Hill is a Lecturer at the
Department of Sport and
Exercise, University of
Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
Janet Clare Wilson is based at
the Department of Psychology,
University of Portsmouth,
Portsmouth, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-05-2016-0027 VOL. 12 NO. 2 2017, pp. 111-120, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
j
THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
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