It may be helpful, but not for me: a qualitative study of the perceived affordances of a mental health education and counseling center among students at a key university in China

The students from key universities face a higher risk of depression and anxiety than those from non-key universities. However, the utilization rate of on-campus counseling services remains very low. Working from the theory of perceived affordances, this study investigates the reasons why some college students with emotional distress at a Chinese key university avoid using the provided on-campus psychological counseling services. This study employed Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis method to code and extract themes from the texts obtained through in-depth interviews. It was conducted at a key Chinese university, where 13 participants were recruited using purposive sampling and took part in interviews lasting between 30 min and two hours. The study revealed that perceived affordances of the campus mental health education and counseling center (MHECC) among this group of college students exhibited three characteristics: surveillant services, counseling without empathy, and cautious peer support. Although these negative perceived affordances of the MHECC may be inconsistent with its real affordances, they led this group of college students to make a decision to refuse help-seeking without accessing the counseling services. To enhance the usability of the MHECC, the perceived information regarding the Center’s affordances should be optimized based on college students’ experiences and cultural backgrounds.