Stigma and Willingness to Seek Mental Health Treatment among College Students: Exploring the Potential Moderators of a Complex Association

Abstract

College students may be at particularly high risk of mental health disorders, but many do not seek professional mental health treatment even when services are available. Research has shown that mental health treatment stigma is associated with lowered willingness to seek mental health treatment among college students. Implicit theories of mental health, or an individual’s subconscious beliefs about the malleability of their mental health status, may moderate the relationship between treatment stigma and willingness to seek mental health treatment. We explored this association in a sample of 224 college students. We found no significant interaction between students’ implicit theories of mental health and their willingness to seek mental health treatment. A relationship between higher mental health treatment stigma and lower willingness to seek mental health care was supported. Future research should focus on strategies for de-stigmatizing mental health treatment on college campuses.