Help-Seeking Attitude of Nigerian Undergraduates Toward Mental Health Issues
Abstract
This study investigated the help-seeking attitude of undergraduates at the University of Ilorin Nigeria toward mental health issues. The study employed a descriptive survey design. A multistage sampling method was used in selecting a total of 400 participants. The demographic data and research questions were examined using percentage distribution. The hypotheses were tested using t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical methods at a significance level of 0. 05. The help-seeking attitude of respondents towards mental health difficulties did not vary significantly based on gender. However, there were substantial differences depending on age, degree of study, and students' place of residence. The vast majority of undergraduates rather talk to friends and family about their mental health problems than seek psychotherapy or medical help. School counsellors need to educate students on the significance of seeking help from trained mental health professionals.
Downloads
References
Adewuya, A., Ola, B. A., Aloba, O., Mapayi, B., & Oginni, O. (2006). Depression amongst Nigerian university students: Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 41(8), 674–678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0068-9
Ahad, A. A., Sanchez-Gonzalez, M., & Junquera, P. (2023). Understanding and addressing mental health stigma across cultures for improving psychiatric care: A narrative review. Cureus, 15(5), e39549. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.39549
Amawulu, E., & Prosper, K. E. (2018). Mental health status of students attending tertiary institutions in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology, 10(10), 363–369.
Asif, S., Mudassar, A., Shahzad, T. Z., Raouf, M., & Pervaiz, T. (2020). Frequency of depression, anxiety, and stress among university students. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 36(5), 971–976. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.5.1873
Bayram, N., & Bilgel, N. (2008). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university students. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(8), 667–672.
Bewick, B. M., Gill, J., Mulhern, B., Barkham, M., & Hill, A. J. (2008). Using electronic surveying to assess psychological distress within the UK university student population: A multi-site pilot investigation. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 4(2), 1–5.
Campbell, C., & McLean, C. (2003). Social capital, local community participation and the construction of Pakistani identities in England: Implications for health inequalities policies. Journal of Health Psychology, 8(2), 247–262. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105303008002668
Campbell, F., Blank, L., Cantrell, A., Baxter, S. K., Blackmore, C., & Goyder, E. (2022). Factors that influence the mental health of university and college students in the UK: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1778. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13943-x
Chandrasekara, S. (2016). Help-seeking attitudes and willingness to seek psychological help: Application of the theory of planned behavior. International Journal of Management, Accounting and Economics, 3(4), 233–245.
Children’s Commissioner. (2016). Lighting review: Access to child and adolescent mental health services. United Kingdom: Children’s Commissioner. https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Childrens-Commissioners-Mental-Health-Lightning-Review.pdf
Corrigan, P. W., Druss, B. G., & Perlick, D. A. (2014). The impact of mental illness stigma on seeking and participating in mental health care. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 15(2), 37–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100614531398
Farrer, L., Leach, L., Griffiths, K. M., Christensen, H., & Jorm, A. F. (2008). Age differences in mental health literacy. BMC Public Health, 8, 125. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-125
Guney, S., Kalafat, T., & Boysan, M. (2010). Dimensions of mental health: Life satisfaction, anxiety and depression: A preventive mental health study in Ankara University students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 1210–1213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.174
Hamdan-Mansour, A., Halabi, J., & Dawani, H. (2009). Depression, hostility, and substance use among university students in Jordan. Mental Health and Substance Use: Dual Diagnosis, 2(1), 53–64.
Henderson, C., Evans-Lacko, S., & Thornicroft, G. (2013). Mental illness stigma, help-seeking, and public health programs. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 777–780. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301056
Huang, Y., & Loux, T. (2023). A cross-sectional study: Association between tobacco/alcohol usage and mental health with disabilities. Mental Health & Prevention, 32, 200302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2023.200302
Lelisho, M. E., & Tareke, S. A. (2023). Prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms among Mizan-Tepi University students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 10(2), 633–643. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01251-4
Kelly, N. (2023). Help-seeking behavior: Stigma around mental health. MDPI Blog. https://blog.mdpi.com/2023/03/14/help-seeking-behavior/
Mboweni, E. N., Mphasha, M. H., & Skaal, L. (2023). Exploring mental health awareness: A study on knowledge and perceptions of mental health disorders among residents of Matsafeni Village, Mbombela, Mpumalanga Province. Healthcare, 12(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010085
Mofatteh, M. (2021). Risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students. AIMS Public Health, 8(1), 36–65. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2021004
Nordberg, S. S., Hayes, J. A., McAleavey, A. A., Castonguay, L. G., & Locke, B. D. (2013). Treatment utilization on college campuses: Who seeks help for what? Journal of College Counseling, 16(3), 258–274.
Oku, A., Oku, O., Owoaje, E., & Monjok, E. (2015). An assessment of mental health status of undergraduate medical trainees in the University of Calabar, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 3(2), 356–362. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2015.068
Oliver, M. I., Pearson, N., Coe, N., & Gunnell, D. (2005). Help-seeking behaviour in men and women with common mental health problems: A cross-sectional study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 186(4), 297–301. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.186.4.297
Peacock, A., Leung, J., Larney, S., Colledge, S., Hickman, M., & Rehm, J. (2018). Global statistics on alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use: 2017 status report. Addiction, 113(10), 1905–1926. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14234
Ratnayake, P., & Hyde, C. (2019). Mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviour, and wellbeing in young people: Implications for practice. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 36(1), 16–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2019.1
Reichert, E. (2012). Reducing stigma barriers to help-seeking behaviors among college students. Psychology, 3(10), 892–896.
Rowe, S. L., French, R. S., Henderson, C., Ougrin, D., Slade, M., & Moran, P. (2014). Help-seeking behaviour and adolescent self-harm: A systematic review. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(12), 1083–1095. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867414555718
Salaheddin, K., & Mason, B. (2016). Identifying barriers to mental health help-seeking among young adults in the UK: A cross-sectional survey. The British Journal of General Practice, 66(651), e686–e692. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp16X687313
Stallman, H. M. (2010). Psychological distress in university students: A comparison with general population data. Australian Psychologist, 45(4), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2010.482109
Szinay, D., Tombor, I., Garnett, C., Boyt, N., & West, R. (2019). Associations between self-esteem and smoking and excessive alcohol consumption in the UK: A cross-sectional study using the BBC UK Lab database. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 10, 100229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2019.100229
Umubyeyi, A., Mogren, I., Ntaganira, J., & Krantz, G. (2016). Help-seeking behaviours, barriers to care, and self-efficacy for seeking mental health care: A population-based study in Rwanda. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 51(1), 81–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1130-2
Xu, Z., Huang, F., Kösters, M., Staiger, T., Becker, T., Thornicroft, G., & Rüsch, N. (2018). Effectiveness of interventions to promote help-seeking for mental health problems: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 48(16), 2658–2667. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718001265
Zada, S., Wang, Y., Zada, M., & Gul, F. (2021). Effect of mental health problems on academic performance among university students in Pakistan. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 23, 395–408. https://doi.org/10.32604/IJMHP.2021.015903
Copyright (c) 2024 Shuaib Abolakale Muhammed , Tosin Emmanuel Akinduyo, Habeebat Olaitan Adebayo, Nancy Phyllis Makhosazane Mabaso
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right to first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution that allows the sharing of articles published with the acknowledgement of authorship and the initial publication in this magazine.
2) The authors are authorized to make additional contracts separately for distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (for example, publication in an institutional repository or as a chapter of the book), as long as there is recognition of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are authorized and encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (for example, in institutional repositories or on their personal pages) at any time before or during the editorial process, as it increases the impact and reference of the published work.