Research Review: Help-seeking intentions, behaviors, and barriers in college students - a systematic review and meta-analysis

Zhao R 1 , Amanvermez Y 2 , Pei J 3 , Castro-Ramirez F 4 , Rapsey C 5 , Garcia C 5 Show all authors , Ebert DD 6 , Haro JM 7 , Fodor LA 8 , David OA 8 , Rankin O 4 , Chua SN 9 , Martínez V 10 , Bruffaerts R 11 , Kessler RC 12 , Cuijpers P 1

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2 Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
  • 3 Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • 4 Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
  • 5 Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
  • 6 Department of Sports and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
  • 7 Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Barcelona, Spain
  • 8 DATA Lab, International Institute for Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • 9 Relate Mental Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 10 CEMERA, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, and Millennium Nucleus to Improve the Mental Health of Adolescents and Youths (Imhay), Santiago, Chile
  • 11 Center for Public Health Psychiatry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • 12 Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2025 Mar 12.
PMID: 40077833 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.14145

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of mental health problems among college students has increased over the past decade. Even when mental health services are available, many students still struggle to access these services. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the rates at which students actively seek or consider using formal help and to determine the main reasons for not seeking help.

METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase to identify studies on help-seeking behaviors, intentions, and barriers to help-seeking among college students with mental health problems. Random effect models were used to calculate the pooled proportions.

RESULTS: Of the 8,919 identified studies, 62 met the inclusion criteria and were included (n = 53 on help-seeking behaviors, n = 21 on help-seeking intentions, and n = 14 on treatment barriers). The pooled prevalence of active help-seeking behaviors was 28% (179,915/435,768 individuals; 95% CI: 23%-33%, I2 = 99.6%), and the aggregated prevalence of help-seeking intentions was 41% (62,456/80161 individuals; 95% CI: 26%-58%, I2 = 99.8%). Common barriers reported by students included a preference to address issues on their own, time constraints, insufficient knowledge of accessible resources, and a perceived lack of need for professional help.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the gap between the mental health needs of the students and their actual help-seeking rates. Although personal barriers are common, systemic or contextual challenges also affect college students' help-seeking behaviors.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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