Students’ attitudes and experiences toward mental health support services in Ireland: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: There is a high prevalence of mental health difficulties among students in higher education. Barriers to seeking mental health support are well documented in this population. However, there is very little research on students’ experiences of accessing mental health support services in Ireland. This study aims to: 1) explore students’ experiences of accessing mental health support services in Ireland, and 2) investigate barriers to the use and continuous utilisation of these services. Methods: We distributed an anonymous online survey to students at University College Cork through mailing lists and posters. The results presented in this study are a thematic analysis of the open-ended responses describing experiences with mental health support services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: This analysis produced three main themes encompassing students’ experience seeking support. They include: 1) barriers to service use and engagement, 2) impact of COVID-19 restrictions on service use, and 3) barriers to continued use of support. These themes summarise barriers encountered by students throughout their help-seeking journeys. The process of seeking support was not straightforward, and students often encountered barriers that prevented or delayed their use of services. Conclusion: There is a need to improve mental health literacy in this population, specifically, teaching students how to access support and what to expect from services. In addition, we recommend that mental health support services improve the process of gaining entrance to a service, by making it better suited to the student population.