Mental health and mental illness information preferences of undergraduate students

As the portability of internet-enabled devices increases, more young adults have access to internet-based mental health resources in more locations than ever before. This study assessed and examined students’ ‘starting points’, preferences, and perceptions when searching for mental health and mental illness information.

Undergraduate students (n=370) enrolled in thirteen colleges within a large southeastern university participated in an online-delivered questionnaire. Recognizing the data’s primarily categorical nature, descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were conducted.

Participants reported ‘always’ or ‘usually’ receiving social and emotional support as needed (78.4%). When asked “which source do you FIRST consult when searching for mental health information” and “mental illness information”, 38.6% and 44.3% respectively indicated Google as their first information destination.  For mental health and mental illness information, “parents” were the next most popular initial information source with 17.6% and 15.9%, respectively, followed by Internet sites (excluding Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) with 7.8% and 12.7% respectively. Most participants consistently perceived mobile apps as “not at all credible” information sources regarding mental health.

Two primary sources students sought for mental health and mental illness information are online and away from social media hubs. Individuals working with college students and specifically individuals responsible for creating internet-based and social media based educational materials for a college student audience would benefit from redirecting resources away from campaigns and initiatives predicated upon social media messages. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to reallocate resources towards evidence-based mental health website development and developing techniques to increase students’ e-literacy to locate valuable mental health information online.