Exploring stigma associated with mental health services among college students

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health problems are very common in the world today. Access to mental health services is important for people to overcome mental health problems, however, they often refuse or fail to seek professional help. One of the main factors that prevent people from seeking professional help is stigma in society. Social stigma refers to the negative attitude of society towards people who have mental health problems. The purpose of the research is to study the attitude of students in Georgia and the role of stigma in relation to receiving mental health services. Methods: Qualitative research methods are used in the research. In-depth interviews were conducted with students of Caucasus University. Results: Mental health is very important for students; they have a general idea about mental health. However, students lack the information about mental health services. Students believe that receiving mental health services is essential, but often this is not possible due to various barriers. According to the research, the main barriers to receiving mental health services among students are the stigma established in the society, self-stigma and the high cost of the services. Students believe that stigma related to mental health is less pronounced in their generation than in the older generation.