Bypassing the waitlist: examining barriers and facilitators of help-line utilization among college students with depression symptoms

Abstract

Background

A large number of U.S. college students suffer from depression symptoms, yet existing resources cannot match the demand.

Aims

This study identified the psychological determinants of utilizing a help-line and examined potential barriers in order to inform effective help-line promotion.

Participants

Four hundred and six undergraduate students (18–29 years) completed a survey at a large Southern United States university between January and May 2018.

Methods

The survey assessed depression symptoms (PHQ9), whether students were aware of the help-line they had access to, stigma beliefs about depression/suicide, stigma of seeking help (SSOSH), predictors of intention to utilize the help-line (RAT) and behavioral approach and avoidance motivation (BIS/BAS).

Results

Students showed mild symptoms of depression (M = 6.60, SD = 5.13) and knew about the help-line (74.8%), but expressed low intentions to use it (M = 1.5, SD = 0.97; 7-pt scale). Depression symptoms influenced the strength of association between determinants and intentions to use a help-line (β = 0.25, p < 0.001). Participants with depression symptoms were also more likely to endorse adverse beliefs about depression/suicide (β = 0.11, p = 0.025).

Conclusion

Help-lines should be promoted by activating and reinforcing positive outcome expectations. Health campaigns should also address adverse beliefs in this population.

Keywords:

• Health promotion
• depression
• reasoned action framework
• help-lines
• college students

Disclosure statement

The authors do not declare any conflict of interest. No specific grant from funding agencies was received from the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendment or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.