Changing attitudes towards seeking help for mental health problems among PhD students with an asynchronous, anonymous webinar: a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND: PhD students have an increased risk of mental health difficulties compared to other university students, yet are also unlikely to seek help for their mental health. Online interventions can improve attitudes towards seeking help. This study explored whether a webinar on mental health and help-seeking developed for PhD students could improve attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health problems. The study compared attitudes between genders, and between home and international students. METHODS: This mixed-methods pilot study used a quantitative study with a pre-post design and a qualitative study using thematic analysis. Participants completed questionnaires on attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health problems, self-stigma of help-seeking, and mental health before and after engaging with the webinar, during which they provided qualitative feedback. RESULTS: Data from 110 participants was analysed using mixed ANOVAs. The webinar improved attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health problems among PhD students but did not reduce self-stigma. No significant differences based on gender or domicile status were found. Qualitative feedback from 51 participants demonstrated that the webinar encouraged self-reflection and help-seeking behaviour. Recommendations for improving the webinar included improving the format to make it more engaging and accessible. CONCLUSION: The webinar improved PhD students' attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health issues. A larger scale randomised controlled trial is needed to determine the potential efficacy of the webinar in enabling students to seek help when experiencing mental health difficulties. The webinar could be integrated into online university student support services to encourage help-seeking for mental health problems.