title: Promoting Mental Health Help-Seeking Behavior Among First-Year College Students.
abstract: Awareness and utilization of mental health services on college campuses is a salient issue, particularly for first-year students as they transition into college life. The current study uses focus groups and surveys to test help-seeking messages for first-year students. In this formative research, Phase 1 focus-group participants (N = 47) discussed four message concepts related to awareness of symptoms of mental health problems and services available to students. Phase 2 participants (N = 292) viewed one of three message concepts and then completed items that measured their perceptions of the message. Focus-group results helped prioritize likely effectiveness of messages based on responses to message features and provided an understanding of mental health help-seeking perceptions among college students. The quantitative results indicate the messages have potential for increasing awareness of mental health issues, as well as promoting availability of campus resources. Implications for tailoring campaign messages to first-year students are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Seattle & King County Public Health.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.affiliation: b Department of Communication , Michigan State University.
authors.forename: Kami
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Silk
authors.affiliation: c Department of Communication , Berry College.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nazione
authors.affiliation: b Department of Communication , Michigan State University.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.affiliation: d Counseling Center , Michigan State University.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Collins-Eaglin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D057545:Social Stigma; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult