Research indicates that individuals who have high levels of mental health literacy engage in help-seeking for mental health issues more in comparison to those with low mental health literacy. It is therefore important to ensure that young people are able to identify signs of psychological distress and identify appropriate supports and resources when necessary. Preliminary research has identified gender differences in help-seeking and identification of mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health literacy, help-seeking intentions and wellbeing in senior high school students. The sample consisted of 22 females and 10 male students, ranging from 16–18 years. Findings indicated a positive correlation between wellbeing and general help-seeking, as well as wellbeing and help-seeking for suicidal ideation. Gender differences were identified for aspects of mental health literacy and help-seeking intentions. Results of this research have implications for practitioners in fostering positive outcomes and developing targeted interventions towards improving mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour in the future.

Seeking help for mental health concerns is critical for improving wellbeing and preventing the development of mental health disorders, yet many adolescents with mental health problems fail to seek professional help. It is well established that young people with mental health problems face a variety of barriers to help-seeking; however, little is known about the ways in which these barriers interact to impact upon the help-seeking process. Guided by the reasoned action approach, this study investigated the predictive relationship between factors that influence help-seeking. Results revealed that mental health knowledge significantly predicted help-seeking intentions, while attitudes did not. Gender differences were identified for help source preferences. The current study contributes to knowledge on the relationship between key variables that influence the adolescent help-seeking process. Findings highlight the importance of mental health knowledge in predicting help-seeking intentions and provide support for interventions that focus on improving mental health literacy in adolescents.

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