Mental health literacy of coping strategies for social anxiety among Japanese university students: A vignette-based online study

This study examined the mental health literacy of Japanese university students regarding social anxiety disorder (SAD). The study delivered an online survey to 680 students using a vignette illustrating SAD. Only 26.6% of respondents recognized the name of the disorder. Moreover, 77.9% acknowledged that seeking professional help is an appropriate coping strategy for SAD, whereas only 48.1% reported an intention to do so if they encountered similar problems. Logistic regression analysis revealed that students who perceived the vignette as depicting a mental disorder were more likely to indicate a preference for counseling or hospital assistance. Conversely, students who cited a belief that seeking help from specialists would be ineffective were less likely to consider counseling. These findings suggest that Japanese university students have a limited understanding of SAD and underscore the role of recognizing a perceived disorder in seeking counseling or hospital assistance.