Exploring Factors Influencing Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Tertiary Students: A Qualitative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsair.V2.I2.337Keywords:
Help-Seeking, Mental Health, Cultural Stigma, College Students, Thematic Analysis, Qualitative ResearchAbstract
College students globally exhibit increasing rates of mental health concerns; however, mental health service utilization remains disproportionately low, especially in the Philippines. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the facilitators, barriers, and perceived recommendations shaping mental health help-seeking behaviors among seven (7) students enrolled at Tanchuling College Inc. (Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase Thematic Analysis. Three major themes emerged: (1) Pathways to Seeking Help – Motivations, encompassing symptom severity as a tipping point, family initiation, peer influence and social encouragement, self-efficacy and academic self-preservation, and awareness gained through psychoeducational encounters; (2) Walls and Bridges – Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Support, comprising cultural and familial stigma rooted in hiya (shame) and the fear of being labeled baliw (crazy), institutional invisibility of campus guidance services, financial constraints, negative prior experiences with professionals, and family disbelief and closed-mindedness; and (3) Building Better Systems – Recommended Policy Directions, including institutionalizing mental health education, enhancing guidance visibility, establishing peer-mediated support programs, fostering anti-stigma campus cultures, and training faculty and staff in mental health related topics. Findings reveal that student help-seeking is predominantly reactive rather than preventive, reflecting systemic gaps in culturally responsive mental health infrastructure within provincial Philippine educational institutions. This study contributes to the implementation of Republic Act No. 11036 (Philippine Mental Health Act) and aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), advanced by promoting equitable mental health access among tertiary students, and SDG 4 (Quality Education), supported through embedding culturally responsive mental health services within academic environments.
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