Barriers to support: a qualitative exploration into the help-seeking and avoidance factors of young adults

The current research explores young adults’ beliefs, awareness and understanding surrounding help-seeking behaviour in relation to barriers preventing access to counselling support. The literature suggests that several barriers, such as a lack of awareness, stigma and gender roles, will have a negative influence on help-seeking. To complement and expand on the substantial body of quantitative research on help-seeking, the present research undertook a qualitative, phenomenological study, in order to explore meaning and understanding in relation to help-seeking behaviours. The sample consisted of six college psychology students, who participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Discourse analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts. The results suggested gender roles, awareness and perception of help, social and cultural expectations/norms, and risk of stigma and rejection, as the significant barriers to help-seeking behaviour. It is suggested that future research could focus on how to reduce these barriers, thus improving help-seeking opportunities for young adults.