Attitudes Toward Health-Seeking Behaviors of College Students in Ukraine

This study elicited multiple perspectives on attitudes towards help-seeking behaviors associated with mental health problems of college students in Ukraine. It employed a sequential mixed method design. First, focus groups were conducted with students and psychologists. These data were analyzed and used to develop a survey. The survey was subsequently administered to psychiatrists, the primary providers of services to people with psychiatric problems in Ukraine. Findings from the focus groups revealed four help-seeking behaviors: 1) friends and partners, (2) alcohol use, (3) family support, and (4) conventional and alternative mental health services. Students and psychiatrists differed in their beliefs about help-seeking behaviors. Although psychiatrists believed students sought help from mental health and/or addictions professionals, students reported using self-medication and social network support. Implications include a troubling gap in perceptions between the students impacted and the professional communities that should be serving them.