Abstract
Mental health and suicide are serious concerns in the U.S. Though many adults report struggling with their mental health, a significant proportion do not receive care for various reasons including stigma, limited availability, long wait times, inability to pay, and a lack of culturally appropriate options. Helplines can be used to fill gaps in care and, though currently underutilized, are a significant focus of the federal government in the implementation of 988. To better understand the factors that facilitate and impede the utilization of helplines, we conducted 14 focus groups with 95 college students attending a public university and two private colleges in upstate New York between April 2019 and October 2020. Participants included undergraduates, graduate students, LGBTQIA + students, student-athletes, and international students. Participants shared several reasons for using helplines including convenience, comfort, immediate support, and privacy and anonymity. On the other hand, participants expressed hesitation as they expected ingenuine interactions with operators and a lack of continuity, they feared police involvement, and they felt that helplines are not for them, as they are marketed for those in a mental health or suicide crisis and their issues are not that severe. LGBTQIA + participants provided additional reasons as to why they use and do not use LGBTQIA+-specific helplines. Together, our findings suggest the need for improved education, marketing, and training around helplines and may be used to inform the implementation and promotion of 988 in its early stages.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to acknowledge the contribution of several individuals: Brianna Maher, MPH, Giana Calabrese, MPH, Monroe Marshall, MPH, Gabrielle Leach, MPH, and Zachary Robbiano, MD, for their efforts in recruitment, focus group facilitation, data collection, and/or data analysis and the Counseling Center Directors at our participating institutions for their buy-in and support of our study. A special thank you goes to the students who participated in our study and shared their stories, experiences, input, and feedback in the hopes of improving mental health services, resources, and supports for young adults.
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Harris, B.R. Helplines for Mental Health Support: Perspectives of New York State College Students and Implications for Promotion and Implementation of 988. Community Ment Health J 60, 191–199 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-023-01157-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-023-01157-3