Many students in higher education experience mental health problems but often do not seek professional help. Around 70 percent of students with mental health symptoms do not actively seek support. This is one of the main conclusions from the research by clinical psychologist Ruiying Zhao.
Zhao investigated why so many students experience mental health problems, yet often do not seek professional help. Zhao: “We wanted to better understand what prevents students from seeking support.” Her research focused mainly on students in higher education,both in the Netherlands and in other European countries. Her dissertation shows that students face various barriers: they prefer to solve their problems themselves, have little time, do not always know what support is available, or do not see their symptoms as something that requires professional help.
According to Zhao, accessible and scalable forms of support can help to reach this group more effectively. “By this, we mean support that is easy to access, can be offered to large groups at the same time, and does not require someone to actively approach a care professional themselves.” Examples include systematic screening, such as short questionnaires that help to identify symptoms earlier, online self-help on how to manage stress, and digital tools that focus on related problems, such as insomnia, procrastination or low self-esteem. The research shows that self-guided stress management programmes can have small but meaningful effects on stress, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms.
Call to universities
According to Zhao, these research findings are important for universities, healthcare professionals and policymakers who want to better support students. Zhao: “We should not wait until students ask for help themselves. We need to find better ways to reach precisely the group that does not actively come forward. This calls for support that is accessible, visible and aligned with what students need.”