scholarly journals Reluctancy towards Help-Seeking for Mental Health Concerns at Secondary School among Students in the COMPASS Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7128
Author(s):  
Natalie Doan ◽  
Karen A. Patte ◽  
Mark A. Ferro ◽  
Scott T. Leatherdale
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
School Connectedness ◽  
School Mental Health ◽  
School Characteristics ◽  
School Students ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Mental Health Concerns ◽  
Household Incomes

Youth populations represent a key population for addressing mental health, yet many youths express reluctance towards help seeking. Considering the volume of time that almost all youth spend at school during the school year, it is important to assess the role of the school environment in relation to students’ attitudes toward help-seeking. Data from 47,290 grade 9 to 12 students and 116 Canadian secondary schools that participated in the 2018-19 wave of the COMPASS (Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking, Sedentary behaviour) study were analyzed using GEE models to assess the student and school characteristics associated with attitudes regarding seeking help for mental health concerns from an adult at school. Overall, 58% of students reported being reluctant to seek help for mental health concerns at school. Students who reported lower self-rated mental health (aOR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.65, 1.87), emotion regulation (aOR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.09), family support (aOR = 2.31, 95% CI = 2.16, 2.47), peer support (aOR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.13, 1.31), and school connectedness (aOR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.92, 0.93) scores were more likely to be reluctant towards help-seeking at school than students with more favourable scores on these variables. Students with higher flourishing scores were less likely than students who were languishing to report reluctance to help-seeking at school (aOR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.96, 0.97). Students attending schools in areas with lower population densities and median household incomes between $50,000–75,000 were less likely to be reluctant to help-seeking relative to students attending schools in areas with higher density (aOR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.79, 0.93) and median household incomes (aOR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.13, 1.31), respectively. The availability of school mental health services and specialists were not associated with student help-seeking reluctance. High levels of resistance towards help-seeking among youth remain a significant barrier, particularly among youth at highest risk (i.e., with lower support and poorer mental health). The student and school characteristics identified in the current study can help inform strategies to promote greater acceptance of help seeking among students in schools.

Mental Health Concerns of Canadian Adolescents: A Consumer's Perspective

1996 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stan Kutcher ◽  
Bridgette Ward ◽  
Denise Hayes ◽  
Kathy Wheeler ◽  
Fran Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
School Students ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Adolescent Students ◽  
Important Concern ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Mental Health Concerns ◽  
Mental Health Programs

Objective: To evaluate the mental health of adolescent students in Metropolitan Toronto. Method: A survey was developed by adolescents for adolescents to evaluate adolescent mental health. The survey was completed by 486 secondary school students in Metropolitan Toronto. Results: The findings of this consumer-directed survey show that the majority of teenagers are not overwhelmed by stress and generally exhibit healthy coping behaviours. Violence is identified as an important concern and help-seeking behaviour for mental health issues, when it occurs, is directed primarily towards the family and teachers rather than physicians. Conclusion: A number of important issues regarding mental illness, including its identification and treatment, were not considered by teens to be part of their mental health concerns. The implications of these findings for the development of community-based mental health programs for adolescents are discussed.

Protective Factors for Mental Health Concerns in Urban Middle School Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 2156759X1878095 ◽  
Author(s):  
JoLynn V. Carney ◽  
Hyunhee Kim ◽  
Richard J. Hazler ◽  
Xiuyan Guo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
School Connectedness ◽  
Contextual Influences ◽  
School Students ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Urban Middle School ◽  
Mental Health Concerns ◽  
Urban Middle School Students

Addressing mental health in urban schools with youth who are often disadvantaged requires an understanding of protective individual and school contextual influences. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, we investigated school connectedness (SC) as a moderator between social skills (SS) and emotional/behavioral difficulties (ED/BD) among 319 urban middle school students (Grades 6–8; 65% self-identified as Black). SS levels predicted ED/BD. SC moderated the association between SS and mental health concerns. We address implications for school counseling practice.

scholarly journals Technology-Based Interventions to Improve Help-Seeking for Mental Health Concerns: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762110345
Author(s):  
Jemimah A. Johnson ◽  
Prachi Sanghvi ◽  
Seema Mehrotra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

Background: Despite the high prevalence of mental health disorders worldwide, a significant proportion of distressed individuals do not seek professional help. Digital technology can be a potential bridge to reduce the treatment gap for mental disorders. A systematic review was undertaken to examine the technology-based interventions aimed at improving help-seeking attitude, intention, or behavior for mental health concerns. Methods: The literature search was conducted in January–February 2020 through various e-databases using relevant keywords that targeted help-seeking interventions for mental health disorders via different technology modes. Results: 21 studies (15 randomized controlled trials and six non-randomized studies) were reviewed. The included studies were published between April 2006 to February 2020. Majority of the interventions led to an increase in the help-seeking variables. The crucial role of online delivery, participant involvement, and embedded links to professional services in encouraging help-seeking is highlighted. The review emphasizes the need for understanding utility of multicomponent interventions with personalized elements targeting help-seeking behavior, particularly in low-middle-income countries, and studies involving longer duration follow-ups. Conclusion: This systematic review is the first of its kind to examine technology-based interventions to improve help-seeking for mental health and suggests that such interventions play a crucial role in positively impacting help-seeking. The complex interplay between the relevant variables such as mental health literacy, stigma, help-seeking attitude, intention and behavior, and the intervention components that may have a differential bearing on these variables are issues that merit urgent attention in further research.

scholarly journals Prevalence of common mental health concerns and service utilization among international students studying in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Zhou ◽  
Anne Q. Zhou ◽  
Xiaoning Sun
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Students ◽  
Service Utilization ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

An estimated one million international students are enrolled in U.S. universities. However, little was known about the landscape of their mental health and help-seeking behaviors. Drawing from a large national university student sample (N = 228,421, 8.49% non-U.S. citizen) from the Healthy Minds Study, data indicated the rates of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorder, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation were 27.4%, 20.0%, 26.4%, 17.2%, and 8.8% respectively among international students, with high inter-country variabilities. Contrary to our expectations, there is no strong and consistent evidence suggesting international students were at higher risk for common mental health concerns compared to domestic students. However, among students who were screened positive for these mental health disorders (n = 96,567), there was a significant difference between service utilization rates for international students and domestic students (32.0% vs. 49.8%), even after controlling for gender, age, socioeconomic status, perceived need for help, mental health stigma, and using informal support. Our results highlight the urgency for addressing mental health concerns and equitable mental health care among international students.

scholarly journals Help-Seeking Behaviors of Transition-Aged Youth for Mental Health Concerns: Qualitative Study

10.2196/18514 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. e18514
Author(s):  
Chelsea Stunden ◽  
Julie Zasada ◽  
Nicole VanHeerwaarden ◽  
Elisa Hollenberg ◽  
Alexxa Abi-Jaoudé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

Background Transition-aged youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, yet they are one of the least likely demographic groups to seek help. Objective The aim of this study is to explore the influences on and patterns in help-seeking for mental health concerns among transition-aged youth who attend postsecondary schools in Canada. Methods A qualitative research design was used, involving 12 semistructured focus groups with transition-aged youth (17-29 years) who attended postsecondary schools in Canada. A thematic analysis was conducted to code the transcripts and develop themes. Results Four main themes and subthemes regarding the process and experience of help-seeking were generated: (1) the influence of formal service providers (accessibility and experiences), (2) the influence of social factors (system navigation and stigma), (3) the influence of health literacy (symptom recognition, acting on symptoms, digital tools and the internet, and mental health awareness campaigns), and (4) the influence of low-intensity sources of support, namely, self-help. Conclusions Transition-aged youth seek help for mental health problems in different ways. Despite efforts to improve access to mental health services, transition-aged youth continue to face barriers to accessing these services, especially formal sources of support. The factors identified in this study that either hinder or facilitate help-seeking have pragmatic implications for developing help-seeking interventions and delivering mental health services for this population. In addition to other facilitators, family physicians are an important resource in the help-seeking process. Furthermore, digital help-seeking tools have unique characteristics that may make them an important source of support for transition-aged youth.

scholarly journals “It’s still taboo”: Help-seeking behaviors of transition-aged youth for mental health concerns – a qualitative study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Stunden ◽  
Julie Zasada ◽  
Nicole VanHeerwaarden ◽  
Elisa Hollenberg ◽  
Alexxa Abi-Jaoude ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

BACKGROUND Transition-aged youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, yet they are one of the least likely demographic groups to seek help. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore influences on and patterns in help-seeking for mental health concerns among transition-aged youth who attend post-secondary school in Canada. METHODS A qualitative research design was used, involving 12 semi-structured focus groups with transition-aged youth (17–29 years) attending Canadian post-secondary schools. Thematic analysis was conducted to code the transcripts and develop themes. RESULTS Four main themes and sub-themes regarding the process and experience of help-seeking were generated: (1) the influence of formal service providers (accessibility; experiences); (2) the influence of social factors (system navigation; stigma); (3) the influence of health literacy (symptom recognition; acting on symptoms; digital tools and the internet; mental health awareness campaigns); and (4) the influence of low-intensity sources of support, namely self-help. CONCLUSIONS Transition-aged youth seek help for mental health problems in different ways. Despite efforts to improve access to mental health services, transition-aged youth continue to face barriers to accessing these services, especially formal sources of support. Factors identified in this study that either hinder or facilitate help-seeking have pragmatic implications for developing help-seeking interventions and delivering mental health services for this population. In addition to other facilitators, family physicians are an important resource in the help-seeking process. Moreover, digital help-seeking tools have unique characteristics that may make these tools an important source of support for transition-aged youth. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Parental help-seeking in primary care for child and adolescent mental health concerns: qualitative study

2010 ◽  
Vol 197 (6) ◽  
pp. 476-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kapil Sayal ◽  
Victoria Tischler ◽  
Caroline Coope ◽  
Sarah Robotham ◽  
Mark Ashworth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Behavioural Difficulties ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

BackgroundChild and adolescent mental health problems are common in primary care. However, few parents of children with mental health problems express concerns about these problems during consultations.AimsTo explore the factors influencing parental help-seeking for children with emotional or behavioural difficulties.MethodFocus group discussions with 34 parents from non-specialist community settings who had concerns about their child's mental health. All groups were followed by validation groups or semi-structured interviews.ResultsMost children had clinically significant mental health symptoms or associated impairment in function. Appointment systems were a key barrier, as many parents felt that short appointments did not allow sufficient time to address their child's difficulties. Continuity of care and trusting relationships with general practitioners (GPs) who validated their concerns were perceived to facilitate help-seeking. Parents valued GPs who showed an interest in their child and family situation. Barriers to seeking help included embarrassment, stigma of mental health problems, and concerns about being labelled or receiving a diagnosis. Some parents were concerned about being judged a poor parent and their child being removed from the family should they seek help.ConclusionsPrimary healthcare is a key resource for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and their families. Primary care services should be able to provide ready access to health professionals with an interest in children and families and appointments of sufficient length so that parents feel able to discuss their mental health concerns.

Staff Voices: What Helps Students With High Mental Health Support Needs Connect to School?

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Anderson ◽  
Helen Kerr-Roubicek ◽  
Louise Rowling
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
School Mental Health ◽  
School Staff ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Fitting In

AbstractResearch indicates that an important determinant of mental health is the degree to which someone feels connected to his or her environment. For young people, how they feel about ‘fitting in’ at school, in terms of peers, staff and the curriculum, is an important factor in their wellbeing. An effective whole school mental health promotion approach will therefore involve the creation of a school environment that encourages a sense of belonging and connection for its students. While the theory behind student connection to school has received a significant level of attention in the education, health and crime prevention literature, not so much is known about how school staff understand the process of ‘students connecting to school’ and what they do to enable it. Even less is reported about the experiences and views of students with high mental health support needs themselves on the issue (see Unheard Voices, Holdsworth & Blanchard, 2005). Therefore, the following study was conducted to seek understanding of the perspectives of school staff about how students connect to school and the implications for enabling the connection of students with high mental health support needs. Qualitative analysis of interviews revealed the emergence of a number of themes that align with previous research on connection to school. This study formed part of the MindMatters Plus initiative, a combined health and education best practice approach to improving the mental health outcomes of secondary school students with high support needs. The findings of this study have practical implications for school staff who are looking for ways to further enable student connection to school. They also add a complementary perspective to those of students as extrapolated in Holdsworth and Blanchard (2005).

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