The Role of Behavioral Expectation, Intention, and Willingness in Predicting College Students’ Seeking of Mental Health Services

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Last Modified
  • May 4, 2021
Creator
  • Weinberg, Benjamin
    • Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Abstract
  • As rates of college student mental illness have increased over the past two decades, researchers have sought to gain insight into the effectiveness of campus mental health services and the predictors of students’ utilization of those services. While progress has been made in understanding the behavioral mechanisms of collegiate mental health help-seeking, the literature lacks high-powered longitudinal studies assessing the relative strength of multiple predictors of service utilization. In the present study, behavioral expectation was investigated in addition to intention and willingness under the theory of planned behavior and prototype-willingness model to assess college students’ motivation to seek help. Whereas prior research in this area has focused primarily on students with mental health treatment experience, this study surveyed a sample from a general student population and assessed differences between participants with no service experience, those with campus-based service experience, and those with off-campus treatment experience. Results indicated that individual variables from both theoretical models significantly predicted students’ motivation to seek help which differ by experience. Though longitudinal behavior data is yet to be collected, a help-seeking decision variable is used as a temporary measure of behavior. Implications for the theoretical models and initiatives to improve the accessibility of campus mental health services are offered.
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  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Buzinski, Steven
    • Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Degree
  • Bachelor of Science
Graduation year
  • 2021
Language
  • English

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