Black Students’ Mental Help-Seeking Processes During College Matriculation

Abstract

The present study examined how Black students’ pre-college beliefs and perceptions of mental health services influenced their help-seeking behaviors, both within and beyond college counseling services. Using semi-structured interview data and consensual qualitative research methods (CQR), we examined the experiences of 48 Black college women and men (ages 18–22) sampled from two universities. We identified the following four themes: (1) pre-college experiences shape mental health knowledge (MHK); (2) college adjustment challenges as a precursor to seeking treatment; (3) negative perceptions of college counseling services; and (4) campus community mental health support. Upon seeking counseling services, many students encountered a lack of diversity in counseling staff and cultural mistrust. Thus, they opted to seek mental health support in campus community spaces curated by Black student organizations and administrators. Overall, our findings suggest Black students engage in various alternative campus community spaces to support their mental health. We conclude by discussing the need for deliberate and specialized mental health support for Black students.