Predictive factors for mental health help seeking and academic help seeking in emerging adults
Abstract
This study was designed to investigate factors that influence help-seeking approach and help-seeking avoidance in both the academic and mental health domains among college students. Specifically, this study explored the extent to which social support, threat, and regulation were predictive of academic and mental health help-seeking and help-avoidance. Moreover, this study examined whether generational status and ethnic identification moderated these relations. Study participants (N =386) were male and female emerging adults (ages 18-25) who were currently pursuing an educational degree. They completed a survey administered online that assessed their propensity for help seeking in the two domains. Regression analyses revealed that social support, regulation, and threat were all significant predictors of help-seeking approach and help-seeking avoidance in both academic and mental health domains. In addition, the relationship between regulation and academic help-seeking avoidance was found to be moderated by ethnic identity. Specifically, help-seeking avoidance was reduced for participants who were lower in ethnic identity and had an elevated capacity for regulation. Help-seeking avoidance was highest for individuals that were low in both regulation and ethnic identity.
Subject Area
Mental health|Behavioral psychology|Educational psychology|Counseling Psychology|Cognitive psychology
Recommended Citation
Stewart, Noreen A, "Predictive factors for mental health help seeking and academic help seeking in emerging adults" (2015). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3722244.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3722244
