Stigma, Strain and Silence: Understanding Mental Health Help-Seeking among University Students in Pakistan

The study investigates the complex relationships that exist between socio-cultural patterns of society and how students influence mental well-being. Employing quantitative approach, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted for data collection. A multistage sampling was utilized to gather data from the student population of sample size 322. The research combined descriptive and inferential analysis to understand these complex dynamics. The descriptive statistics provide a comprehensive profile of study population to illuminate socio-cultural patterns, and inferential analysis reveals the relationship of socio-cultural patterns with mental health of students. The results showed that the students from a lower socioeconomic background have lower mental health outcomes than those who are from high socio-economic class (p-value: 0.000, Beta Coefficient: 0.305, t-value: 5.725). Moreover, the students in the culture that promotes help-seeking have lower mental health scores compared to students in a culture that discourage help-seeking (p-value: 0.021, t-statistic: 2.327, coefficient 0.135). Universities can leverage these insights to develop targeted interventions that address socio-cultural issues and foster positive connections among students.