scholarly journals P26 Barriers and Facilitators to Help-Seeking for Common Mental Disorders among University Students: A Systematic Review

BJS Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Lui ◽  
June Brown ◽  
Joyce Lui

Abstract Background High rates of mental health illness affect university students, most commonly depression and anxiety. Despite this, help-seeking behaviours are extremely low. This is the first systematic review aiming to summarise the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for depression and/or anxiety among university students. Methods Three databases, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychINFO were searched for studies reporting barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for university students with depression and/or anxiety. In order to review data from both qualitative and quantitative studies, information on barriers and facilitators were coded into themes. Results Ten final papers were included; four qualitative and six quantitative. The most prominent barriers were self-reliance, stigma, physical barriers, poor awareness of mental health symptoms, poor knowledge of services and effectiveness, and symptom severity. Although there was significantly less research on facilitators, common facilitator themes were good mental health literacy and encouragement or pressure from others to seek help. Conclusions A recommendation from this review is the need to explore self-reliance as a barrier to help-seeking as this was the most commonly barrier, but a little researched area. Another recommendation is that more research is undertaken to investigate the facilitators to help-seeking. Clinical recommendations include using the internet to provide support and information on mental health disorders and services, implementing anti-stigma workshops in universities and integrating family members, partners, and friends into an individual’s mental health care. It is hoped that the findings from this review will be used to improve mental health services to address poor help-seeking behaviours among this student population.

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1880-1892 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Coleman ◽  
S. A. M. Stevelink ◽  
S. L. Hatch ◽  
J. A. Denny ◽  
N. Greenberg

A recent quantitative review in the area of stigma and help seeking in the armed forces has questioned the association between these factors (Sharp et al. 2015). To date, the contribution of qualitative literature in this area has largely been ignored, despite the value this research brings to the understanding of complex social constructs such as stigma. The aim of the current systematic review of qualitative studies was to identify appropriate literature, assess the quality and synthesize findings across studies regarding evidence of stigma-related barriers and facilitators to help seeking for mental health issues within the armed forces. A multi-database text word search incorporating searches of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Social Policy and Practice, Social Work Abstracts, EMBASE, ERIC and EBM Review databases between 1980 and April 2015 was conducted. Literature was quality assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Thematic synthesis was conducted across the literature. The review identified eight studies with 1012 participants meeting the inclusion criteria. Five overarching themes were identified across the literature: (1) non-disclosure; (2) individual beliefs about mental health; (3) anticipated and personal experience of stigma; (4) career concerns; and (5) factors influencing stigma. The findings from the current systematic review found that unlike inconsistent findings in the quantitative literature, there was substantial evidence of a negative relationship between stigma and help seeking for mental health difficulties within the armed forces. The study advocates for refinement of measures to accurately capture the complexity of stigma and help seeking in future quantitative studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (11) ◽  
pp. 1397-1413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea B. Martinez ◽  
Melissa Co ◽  
Jennifer Lau ◽  
June S. L. Brown

Abstract Purpose This systematic review aims to synthesise the evidence on behavioural and attitudinal patterns as well as barriers and enablers in Filipino formal help-seeking. Methods Using PRISMA framework, 15 studies conducted in 7 countries on Filipino help-seeking were appraised through narrative synthesis. Results Filipinos across the world have general reluctance and unfavourable attitude towards formal help-seeking despite high rates of psychological distress. They prefer seeking help from close family and friends. Barriers cited by Filipinos living in the Philippines include financial constraints and inaccessibility of services, whereas overseas Filipinos were hampered by immigration status, lack of health insurance, language difficulty, experience of discrimination and lack of acculturation to host culture. Both groups were hindered by self and social stigma attached to mental disorder, and by concern for loss of face, sense of shame, and adherence to Asian values of conformity to norms where mental illness is considered unacceptable. Filipinos are also prevented from seeking help by their sense of resilience and self-reliance, but this is explored only in qualitative studies. They utilize special mental health care only as the last resort or when problems become severe. Other prominent facilitators include perception of distress, influence of social support, financial capacity and previous positive experience in formal help. Conclusion We confirmed the low utilization of mental health services among Filipinos regardless of their locations, with mental health stigma as primary barrier, while resilience and self-reliance as coping strategies were cited in qualitative studies. Social support and problem severity were cited as prominent facilitators.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Banwell ◽  
Neil Humphrey ◽  
Pamela Qualter

Abstract Background The increasing prevalence of mental health difficulties among children and young people (CYP) suggests that early intervention is vital. A comprehensive system of care and support requires the involvement of mental health professionals, including psychologists and psychiatrists, and allied professionals, including teachers, police, and youth workers. A critical starting point is the provision of effective training, in order that these professionals can better support the mental health needs of the CYP that they encounter. Objectives Given the primacy of training in the CYP mental health support system, understanding the factors that maximise potential gains and facilitate uptake is pertinent. The current review therefore located and explored qualitative research evidence, to identify the barriers and facilitators underpinning successful delivery and implementation of training focussed on the mental health of CYP, for both mental health and allied professionals. Methods A systematic review and qualitative meta-aggregation were conducted. Systematic searches were carried out using ASSIA, EMBASE, MEDLINE, NICE Evidence, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases, for papers published between 2000 and 2020. Twelve thousand four hundred forty-eight records were identified, of which 39 were eligible for review. The records were appraised for quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research, and synthesised using the qualitative meta-aggregation method. Results One hundred eighty-two raw findings were extracted from the 39 papers, which were condensed into 47 sub-categories, 19 categories, and finally 5 synthesis statements. These synthesis statements reflected the barriers and facilitators influencing the training delivery process (“support”; “content, design, and planning”), and the implementation of training into the workplace (“context”; “perceived value”; “organisational factors”). Conclusions The synthesis statements and underlying categories provide practical recommendations for those designing, delivering, or implementing CYP mental health training. Recommendations ranged from facilitating peer support during training, to the idea that training will be better implemented when perceived need is high. The review provides a robust evidence-based foundation to “common-sense” principles, drawing them into a coherent and organised framework using a synthesis method grounded in pragmatism. Protocol registration number PROSPERO reference ID: CRD42020162876.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. e1759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Harrer ◽  
Sophia H. Adam ◽  
Harald Baumeister ◽  
Pim Cuijpers ◽  
Eirini Karyotaki ◽  
...  

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