Exploring the Underlying Factors Influencing Help-Seeking Avoidance Among University Students

Mateja Novak; Eszter Kovács

doi:10.61838/kman.jarac.7.2.26

Authors

Mateja Novak Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Eszter Kovács * Department of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary eszter.kovacs@elte.hu

https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jarac.7.2.26

Keywords:

Help-seeking avoidance, university students, mental health, stigma

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore the underlying psychological, cultural, institutional, and cognitive factors that contribute to help-seeking avoidance among university students.

Methods and Materials: Using a qualitative phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 university students from various institutions across Hungary. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The interviews focused on students’ personal experiences and perceptions regarding barriers to academic or psychological help-seeking. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software. Codes and themes were inductively derived through a six-phase process involving open coding, theme development, and analytic memoing to ensure trustworthiness and rigor.

Findings: Four major themes emerged: (1) Perceived Social and Cultural Barriers, including stigma, family norms, and peer group expectations; (2) Emotional and Psychological Factors, such as fear of vulnerability, self-stigma, emotional suppression, and trust deficits; (3) Institutional and Structural Constraints, including limited access, confidentiality concerns, and inadequate outreach; and (4) Personal Beliefs and Cognitive Barriers, such as belief in self-reliance, minimization of distress, and skepticism about help effectiveness. Participants consistently described a complex interplay of internalized attitudes, environmental cues, and cultural narratives that reinforced avoidance behaviors. Several students cited prior negative experiences and mistrust in university services as key deterrents.

Conclusion: To address these issues effectively, universities must implement culturally sensitive, accessible, and stigma-reducing mental health strategies that reshape peer norms and institutional practices.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Amar, A. V., Avdović, A., Belić, M., & Demirović, D. (2024). Potential Factors That Can Model the Attitude Towards Psychotherapy Among Students – An Analysis of a University in Serbia. Journal of Research in Higher Education, 7(2), 55-73. https://doi.org/10.24193/jrhe.2024.2.4

Amin, H., Wazeer, M., Imran, N., Rashid, A., Kiran, R., & Haider, I. (2023). Help Seeking Attitudes for Mental Illnesses Among Under-Graduate Medical Students in Lahore. J Pak Psychiatr Soc, 20(03), 6-9. https://doi.org/10.63050/jpps.20.03.203

Bamine, V., & Tanaka, K. (2025). Help-Seeking in Nursing and Medical Students: A Concept Analysis. Journal of Research in Nursing, 30(2), 125-138. https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871241268451

Brown, D. S., Barry, J. A., & Todd, B. K. (2020). Barriers to Academic Help-Seeking: The Relationship With Gender-Typed Attitudes. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(3), 401-416. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877x.2020.1774049

Çebi, E., & Demir, A. (2019). Help-Seeking Attitudes of University Students in Turkey. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 42(1), 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-019-09385-7

Delaney, L., Brown, M., & Costello, E. (2023). Between the Lines: An Exploration of Online Academic Help-Seeking and Outsourced Support in Higher Education: Who Seeks Help and Why? Education Sciences, 13(11), 1147. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111147

Doan, N., Patte, K. A., Ferro, M. A., & Leatherdale, S. T. (2020). Reluctancy Towards Help-Seeking for Mental Health Concerns at Secondary School Among Students in the COMPASS Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 7128. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197128

Farooq, S., Parpio, Y., Sattar, S., Ali, Z., Rahim, S., & Peerwani, G. (2021). Stigma Associated With and Attitude Regarding Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Undergraduate Nursing Students in Karachi, Pakistan. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-710107/v1

Hardinugraha, L., & Zulkaida, A. (2021). The Effect of Self-Stigma and Perceived Social Support on Help-Seeking on Students. International Journal of Research Publications, 90(1). https://doi.org/10.47119/ijrp1009011220212556

Koutra, K., Pantelaiou, V., & Mavroeides, G. (2024). Breaking Barriers: Unraveling the Connection Between Mental Health Literacy, Attitudes Towards Mental Illness, and Self-Stigma of Psychological Help-Seeking in University Students. Psychology International, 6(2), 590-602. https://doi.org/10.3390/psycholint6020035

Lu, C.-M., Lien, Y. J., Chao, H.-J., Lin, H.-S., & Tsai, I. C. (2021). A Structural Equation Modeling of Mental Health Literacy in Healthcare Students. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(24), 13264. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413264

Luca, S. M. D., Lytle, M. C., Yan, Y., & Brownson, C. (2019). Help-Seeking Behaviors and Attitudes of Emerging Adults: How College Students Reporting Recent Suicidal Ideation Utilize the Internet Compared to Traditional Resources. Journal of American College Health, 68(3), 250-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2018.1539397

Moxham, L., Roberts, M., Yousiph, T., Jay, E. K., Lewer, K., Robson, G., Drury, P., Cordina, J., Villeneuve‐Smith, S., & Patterson, C. (2024). ‘I Can't See Myself Seeking Help’: The Influence of Clinical Placements on Nursing Students' Stigmatising Beliefs and Intentions to Seek Help for Their Own Mental Health Issues: A Prospective Cohort Study. International journal of mental health nursing, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13429

Rao, K. A. (2025). Cultural Differences in Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Asian and Non-Asian University Students in Malaysia. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, IX(IV), 3510-3522. https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2025.90400256

Roszkowski, M. J. (2019). The Relationship of Help-Seeking Inclinations to Traditional Predictors of Academic Success and First-Semester College GPA. Journal of College Orientation Transition and Retention, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.24926/jcotr.v21i1.2858

Sagar-Ouriaghli, I., Godfrey, E., Graham, S., & Brown, J. S. L. (2020). Improving Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviours for Male Students: A Framework for Developing a Complex Intervention. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(14), 4965. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17144965

Sappor, G., & Franks, J. R. (2025). The BAME Awarding Gap: Understanding Student Perspectives. London Review of Education, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.14324/lre.23.1.02

Shahwan, S., Lau, J. H., Goh, C. M. J., Ong, W. J., Tan, G. T. H., Kwok, K. W., Samari, E., Lee, Y. Y., Teh, W. L., Seet, V., Chang, S., Chong, S. A., & Subramaniam, M. (2020). The Potential Impact of an Anti-Stigma Intervention on Mental Health Help-Seeking Attitudes Among University Students. BMC psychiatry, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02960-y

Sithaldeen, R., August, L., Phetlhu, O., & Kokolo, B. (2025). Fostering College Students’ Sense of Belonging by Building Help‐Seeking Behaviors in an Academic Recovery Program. New Directions for Higher Education, 2025(209), 9-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20527

Tan, G. T. H., Shahwan, S., Goh, C. M. J., Ong, W. J., Samari, E., Abdin, E., Kwok, K. W., Chong, S. A., & Subramaniam, M. (2020). Causal Beliefs of Mental Illness and Its Impact on Help-Seeking Attitudes: A Cross-Sectional Study Among University Students in Singapore. BMJ open, 10(7), e035818. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035818

Thomas, C. L., & Tagler, M. J. (2019). Predicting Academic Help-Seeking Intentions Using the Reasoned Action Model. Frontiers in Education, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00059

Wang, H., & Xia, Y. (2017). Chinese College Students Seeking Psychological Help From Professionals—Rationally Should but Emotionally Not? Sociology Study, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.17265/2159-5526/2017.04.004

Wani, A. (2025). Breaking the Silence: Unraveling Groupthink Among Students as a Barrier to Acknowledging Mental Health Issues. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. https://doi.org/10.1108/mhsi-01-2025-0004

Williams-Dobosz, D., Jeng, A., Azevedo, R. F. L., Bosch, N., Ray, C., & Perry, M. (2021). Ask for Help: Online Help-Seeking and Help-Giving as Indicators of Cognitive and Social Presence for Students Underrepresented in Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 98(12), 3693-3703. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00839

Yamauchi, T., Shimazaki, T., Yanagisawa, H., & Suka, M. (2023). Formal and Informal Help-Seeking Intentions/Behaviors Among Students and Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 28(0), 53-53. https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.23-00095