title: Help seeking and mental health service utilization among college students with a history of suicide ideation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined help seeking among 158 college students with a lifetime history of suicide ideation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students were interviewed about episodes of psychological distress, formal treatment, and informal help seeking during adolescence and college.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 151 students reporting any lifetime episodes of distress, 62% experienced the first episode in adolescence, and 54% had episodes in both adolescence and young adulthood. Overall, 87% received informal help, 73% received formal treatment, and 61% received both. Among the 149 who ever sought help or treatment, the most commonly reported sources of help were family (65%), friends (54%), psychiatrists (38%), and psychologists (33%). Of the 94 individuals who experienced suicide ideation in college, 44% did not seek treatment during young adulthood. Treatment barriers reflected ambivalence about treatment need or effectiveness, stigma, and financial concerns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most students had some contact with treatment, but family and friends might be important gatekeepers for facilitating treatment access.
authors.affiliation: Department ofFamily Science, University of MarylandSchool of Public Health, College Park, MD20742, USA. aarria@umd.edu
authors.forename: Amelia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arria
authors.forename: Emily R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Winick
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Garnier-Dykstra
authors.forename: Kathryn B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.forename: Holly C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: Kevin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: O'Grady
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult