TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding undergraduate student perceptions of mental health, mental well-being and help-seeking behaviour
AU - Laidlaw, Anita
AU - McLellan, Julie
AU - Ozakinci, Gozde
N1 - Acknowledgements
This research was conducted at the University of St Andrews. The authors would like to thank the Medical School, University of St Andrews for funding this study.
PY - 2016/12
Y1 - 2016/12
N2 - Despite relatively high levels of psychological distress, many students in higher education do not seek help for difficulties. This study explored undergraduate student understanding of the concepts of mental health and mental well-being and where undergraduate students would seek help for mental well-being difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 undergraduate students from 5 different subject areas. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Results highlighted that the majority of participants viewed mental health and mental well-being as two distinct concepts but their views did not affect where they would seek help for mental well-being difficulties. Medical students reported public stigma relating to help seeking for mental well-being difficulties. Undergraduate students are most likely to seek help for mental well-being difficulties from peers, but whether this experience is useful is less clear. How such an approach impacts upon the individual from whom assistance is sought is also not well understood.
AB - Despite relatively high levels of psychological distress, many students in higher education do not seek help for difficulties. This study explored undergraduate student understanding of the concepts of mental health and mental well-being and where undergraduate students would seek help for mental well-being difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 undergraduate students from 5 different subject areas. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Results highlighted that the majority of participants viewed mental health and mental well-being as two distinct concepts but their views did not affect where they would seek help for mental well-being difficulties. Medical students reported public stigma relating to help seeking for mental well-being difficulties. Undergraduate students are most likely to seek help for mental well-being difficulties from peers, but whether this experience is useful is less clear. How such an approach impacts upon the individual from whom assistance is sought is also not well understood.
UR - https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/understanding-undergraduate-student-perceptions-of-mental-health-mental-wellbeing-and-helpseeking-behaviour(3cda073d-4d4e-4213-a8c2-83154a226a94).html
U2 - 10.1080/03075079.2015.1026890
DO - 10.1080/03075079.2015.1026890
M3 - Article
SN - 0307-5079
VL - 41
SP - 2156
EP - 2168
JO - Studies in Higher Education
JF - Studies in Higher Education
IS - 12
ER -
