Examining Personal, Perceived, Treatment, and Self-Stigma in College Students: The Role of Parent Beliefs and Mental Health Literacy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although college student mental health concerns are on the rise, many struggling students do not seek psychological treatment when needed. Stigma toward psychological treatment has been demonstrated to influence intent to seek treatment in college student populations. This study aimed to identify factors that predict treatment stigma in college students by examining other forms of student-held stigma, parent-held stigma, and mental health literacy. Results indicated that student-held personal, perceived, and self-stigma all predicted student attitudes toward treatment, while parent-held personal stigma was found to predict self-stigma in students. Those individuals who had received previous education about psychological disorders had lower levels of personal stigma, and, surprisingly, higher levels of self-stigma. Implications for campus outreach programming are discussed.