A thematic analysis of barriers to mental health help-seeking: A multi-cultural perspective

Abstract

There are increasing overseas students suffering from mental problems. However, less students will seek help from mental services. This study is to explore the potential barriers of seeking help. Results identified 3 clearly-defined and well-supported themes of barriers to help-seeking (i.e. stigma, mental health literacy and awareness of services, culture and language). This study raises important public health issues as well as gaining an insight into how cultural barriers influence help-seeking behaviour, raising potentially fascinating further avenues for future study.