The impact of family history of mental illness on mental health help seeking in university students

Abstract

Background University students with a family history of mental illness may have an increased risk of developing mental health problems. Aims The aim of the study was to assess differences in mental health help seeking among students with a family history of mental illness compared to those without a family history. Methods A total of 1127 university students, aged 18 to 30 years, completed an online survey with questions about mental illness, family history of mental illness, help seeking, and psychological symptoms. Results Students with a family history of mental illness were more likely to report clinically significant symptoms and more likely to use social media and online support programs. They reported similar rates of in-person help seeking. Those with more than one family member with a mental illness reported greater symptom severity, more use of online programs, and increased likelihood of prescription drug use than those with only one family member. Conclusions More research is needed to understand how to increase access to mental health care and to address barriers to help-seeking considering family history of mental illness. University students may not be accessing appropriate treatment and care as required, with the rates of in-person help-seeking being low overall.