Same But Different: Mental Health Help-Seeking Approaches of Undergraduate Students

Abstract: Student mental health has declined in recent years, particularly among minoritized and first-generation students, yet research on their help-seeking behaviors is limited. This study aims to address these gaps by examining help-seeking attitudes, styles, and sources in college students, with a focus on minoritized groups. A total of 206 self-identified Black, Latine, and White students (72.5% female), aged 18 to 24 (M = 20.07, SD = 1.49), from a large university in Texas, U.S. participated in the study. Data were collected through online surveys assessing help-seeking behaviors. The results revealed that first-generation students exhibited significantly higher avoidant help-seeking styles, with no significant differences between ethnically minoritized and general student populations in their help-seeking styles. This study highlights the need for continued exploration in the role that college settings, ethnicity, and first-generation status may or may not play in mental health help-seeking behaviors.