Improving College Students' Mental Help-Seeking Intention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Help-Seeking Behavior; Mental Health Issue

• Registration Number: NCT05451706
• Lead Sponsor: Cleveland State University

Brief Summary

This study aimed at testing the effectiveness of a longitudinal intervention in increasing college students' intention to seek mental help during the pandemic.

Detailed Description

This study aimed at testing the effectiveness of a longitudinal intervention in increasing college students' intention to seek mental help during the pandemic.

A four-armed randomized controlled experiment was conducted to compare two self-persuasion methods against two control conditions. Assessments took place at baseline (T0), post-first treatment (T1), post-second treatment (six weeks, T2), and ten-week follow-up (T3).

The results showed that the intervention significantly increased students' help-seeking intention, attitude, and efficacy at different time points. It also reduced mental help-seeking-related stigma after the first task.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2020-10-01
• Primary Completion: 2021-01-30
• Study Completion: 2021-01-31
• Study First Submitted: 2022-07-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-07-07
• Study First Posted: 2022-07-11
• Status Verified: 2024-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-02-05
• Last Update Posted: 2024-02-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 926

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 years old or older
• Full-time undergraduate students
• Had more than a moderate amount of mental distress

Exclusion Criteria

• Under 18 years old
• Not full-time undergraduate students
• Had less than a moderate amount of mental distress

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Help-Seeking Behavior	10 weeks	Help-Seeking Behavior was measured by a validated item modified from previous research based on the transtheoretical model (Sarkin et al., 2001). The item asked about if a participant has sought mental help from a health care professional. Answers to this item included "1 = not intending to seek help in the next six months," "2 = intending to seek help in the next six months," "3 = planning to seek help in the next 30 days," "4 = have already sought help but for less than six months," and "5 = have been under treatment for more than six months."
Help-Seeking Intention	10 weeks	Help-Seeking Intention was measured by one item created based on recommendations by Ajzen (2002). Measured on a 5-point scale (1 = extremely unlikely, 5 = extremely likely), this item asked, "If you have a personal-emotional problem, how likely is it that you would seek help from a mental health professional (a psychologist, psychologist, or psychotherapist)?" Higher scores on this item suggest higher intentions to seek professional mental help.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Self-stigma of seeking mental help	10/2020 - 1/10 weeks	Participants rated 1 ("strongly disagree") to 5 ("strongly agree") on ten items adopted from the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale (Vogel et al., 2006).
Mental help-seeking attitudes	10 weeks	participants rated 1 ("strongly disagree") to 5 ("strongly agree") on ten items of the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPHS-SF) (Fischer \& Farina, 1995).
Mental help-seeking efficacy	10 weeks	Mental Help-Seeking Efficacy was measured by five items modified from previous research (Mo \& Mak, 2009) and recommendations (Ajzen, 2002). Participants rated 1 ("strongly disagree") to 5 ("strongly agree") on the answers.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Texas A&M University; 🇺🇸 College Station, Texas, United States