University Students’ Views on the Perceived Benefits and Drawbacks of Seeking Help for Mental Health Problems on the Internet: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

BackgroundUniversity students experience high levels of mental health problems yet very few seek professional help. Web-based mental health interventions may be useful for the university student population. However, there are few published qualitative studies that have examined the perceived benefits and drawbacks of seeking help for mental health problems on the Internet from the perspective of university students.ObjectiveTo investigate the attitudes of university students on mental health help-seeking on the Internet.MethodsA total of 19 university students aged 19-24 years participated in 1 of 4 focus groups to examine their views toward help-seeking for mental health problems on the Internet.ResultsPerceived concerns about Web-based help-seeking included privacy and confidentiality, difficulty communicating on the Internet, and the quality of Web-based resources. Potential benefits included anonymity/avoidance of stigma, and accessibility. Participants reported mixed views regarding the ability of people with similar mental health issues to interact on the Internet.ConclusionsThese factors should be considered in the development of Web-based mental health resources to increase acceptability and engagement from university students.

Qualitative analysis of UK and USA open mental health Facebook groups for mental health support (Preprint)

“…In contrast to prior research surrounding the negative impact of using SNSs for information and support [82][83][84][85][86], this study found that people using open Facebook groups felt, on the whole, that the support they received from online peers had a positive impact on feelings of empowerment and hope [76], their perceived social support network [74,75], and feelings of stigmatization were reduced [77]. Based on the observable data from both the UK and the USA, stigma relating to mental illness was shown to be a pervasive factor in people's lives, and both data sets highlighted the following points.…”

“…By sharing personal experiences of their mental illness, Facebook users provided informational and emotional support to other group members that may not be available from the receivers own social network or professionals, in line with previous research [18,19,34]. This form of support may lead to increased feelings of connectedness for the receiver [67,78], and could potentially reduce feelings of social isolation [22][23][24]74], and may offer hope to people using Facebook for their mental illness [76], thus empowering them to seek help or take positive action. From the findings, it was noted that the UK sample tended to show a slightly higher level of self-disclosure.…”

“…Studies have found several positive benefits of using Facebook and other SNSs for those with mental illness, such as an increase in perceived social support [73,74], feelings of empowerment and hope [75], reduced feelings of isolation [74], and a decrease in depressive symptoms [75]. In addition, those seeking online support have reported a lower level of stigmatisation [76], and increased feelings of connectedness [77]. The efficacy of online support from SNSs for mental health has shown to be particularly salient for women during pregnancy [14], and those with mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia [78], Psychosis [79] and PTSD [80].…”

Why urban Indians are interested in an internet based self-care app for depression? a brief pilot survey

“…Some of these findings are broadly similar to previous studies. [18][19] However, the study captured the perceptions of potential clients in India who showed an initial inclination/readiness/felt need to use an internet based self-help program, unlike studies that rely on a general population, most of which have been carried out in other socio cultural contexts. Moreover, the findings also bring to light the fact that individuals who are already in contact with traditional mental health services are also likely to be interested in learning selfhelp methods in order to experience a sense of mastery over challenges related to illness/ engage in actions to prevent future problems and work towards a psychological sense of recovery.…”

“…17 Ease of access, privacy and anonymity, flexibility, low effort, convenience and low cost are mentioned as some of the factors that underlie preferences for e-mental health interventions. [18][19] However, deficient e-awareness and ambivalent attitudes have also been reported. 20 Though several structured internet based mental health interventions have been developed and tested for efficacy, the potential public health impact of these programs is unlikely to be realized without wide-scale uptake and optimal rates of completion /adherence.…”