The Role of Self-Stigma and Depressive Symptomology in Mental Health Help-Seeking

Despite high rates of distress in college student populations, many students do not seek help for mental health issues. The context in which mental health help-seeking occurs is not well understood. Cognitive models of depression provide a theoretical understanding of how depression symptoms may promote the internalization of stigma beliefs, thus discouraging help-seeking. In the present study, it was hypothesized that self-stigma would mediate the relationship between depression symptoms and help-seeking. Undergraduate students (N = 712) completed an online survey that included self-reported measures of mental health, stigma, and help-seeking. Mediation analyses examined self-stigma as a mediator in the relationship between depression symptoms and formal help-seeking intention, controlling for gender. Both the direct effect of X (depression) on Y (help-seeking) and the indirect effect of X on Y were significant, indicating partial mediation. Future research should continue to explore diagnosis and symptom-specific effects on mental health stigma and help-seeking.