Coping with depression: College students' perceived barriers and preferences for formal and informal psychological help

Introduction: Adults aged 18 to 25 years have the highest rates of depression (11.1%) in the US, and are least likely to receive treatment (SAMHSA, 2012). The purpose of this study was to identify perceived barriers to seeking depression counseling and explore preferred choices of help among college students.

Methods: College students (n=188) completed surveys assessing current and past depression, formal and informal help-seeking behavior, perceived barriers to seeking counseling, and most frequently utilized interventions. Descriptive statistics were calculated to assess depression prevalence, frequency of perceived barriers, and participation in depression interventions. Chi-square tests were performed to examine the relation between perceived depression and measured depression based on CESD-20 diagnostic criteria.

Results: Significantly more participants meeting depression diagnostic criteria reported never being depressed, χ2(2,N = 153)=14.418, (p<.01). Of these, 55.2% did not seek professional help. A majority of participants (74%) reported engaging in physical activity, spending time with friends (65%), family (61%), and learning relaxation (48%) to cope with depression. Based on mean scores, top barriers to seeking counseling were difficulty talking to someone they don’t know (2.56), motivating themselves (2.54), stigma (2.52), and being seen emotional (2.51).

Discussion: There is a need to develop screeners to identify students suffering from depression and increase self-awareness of depression. A better understanding of college students’ barriers to seeking psychological treatment may assist in designing interventions to decrease reluctance towards professional psychological help. Alternative choices of help that are most preferred by college students must be supported to ensure protective factors for depression.