Preferences and barriers to mental help seeking among students attending the University of Dschang, West region, Cameroon

Abstract

Background: Mental disorders are a major source of disability and receive little attention in developing countries in general and particularly in Cameroon. Students are at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The aim of this study was to assess students mental help seeking preferences and the barriers to mental health seeking. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics preferences and barriers to mental health seeking. Results: Of the 84.23%[534/634, CI :81.18%- 86.86% ] who consider depression a serious health problem 34.14%[183/534, CI : 30,25%- 38.26% ] will go to a psychologist, in case of a mental health problem.. Most of the participants 47.32% [300/634,CI : 43,46%- 51.21% ] prefer a private hospital for healthcare. The greatest barrier to health access is the inability to pay 38.64%[245/634, CI : 34.93%- 42.49%]. Conclusion: Interventions to increase awareness on available health services, implementation of universal health coverage and the promotion of mental health could greatly improve health seeking behaviour and access to mental healthcare.

Barriers to Mental Health Seeking Intentions Among Students at Mulungushi University, Kabwe District, Zambia

“…A recurring perception that emerged was the stigma that if someone sees a psychologist, then it meant that they were mentally disturbed. Additionally, a study by Martial et al (2020) found that only 38.3 percent of the students were willing to seek help from a psychologist on campus while the majority about 50.2 percent preferred a private hospital.…”