Use of mental health services and perceived barriers to access services among college students with suicidal ideation

Suicide is an important public health issue in France, where the suicide rate is among the highest in Europe. While suicidal thoughts and behaviors are prevalent among young adults including college students, an important gap exists between the presence of psychological difficulties and the use of mental health services. Using data drawn from the French portion of the World Mental Health International College Student survey initiative (WMH-ICS), the current study investigates the use of mental health services among college students with 12-month suicidal ideation and examines the barriers identified by students who did not receive care, and include cohorts enrolled pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Only one quarter received services and among those who did not, one half reported a perceived need. Prior services use, any anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and suicide attempt were associated with the use of services in the past 12 months. The most frequently reported barriers were wanting to handle the problem on their own, being unsure of where to go or who to see, and being too embarrassed. The pandemic context was associated neither with services use nor with greater reported barriers. These findings underline the gap in mental health services use among college students despite the accessibility of mental health services in France. Identifying the barriers which restrict the use of mental health services among students could contribute to identifying specific targets for prevention, and facilitate access to appropriate services.