Underutilization of Mental Health Services Among College Students: An Examination of System-Related Barriers

Abstract

Despite the documented benefits of counseling and mental health services on academic performance and degree attainment, only about 10% of psychologically distressed college students ever seek professional help. This investigation examined mental health care system-related barriers that might distinguish help seekers from nonhelp seekers among students demonstrating similar levels of distress. Data analysis was conducted using a binary logistic regression model and yielded significant findings for the model of barriers hypothesized for the study. These findings may offer insight for campus-based practitioners seeking to understand underutilization of mental health care in their settings.