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Barriers to Utilization of Counselling Services Among College Students
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Mental Health
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718257
Abstract
College students are experiencing substantially more mental health issues, although use of counselling services remains low. The study aims to explore the barriers that influence college student's help-seeking behaviour, as well as their beliefs, attitudes, and experiences with counselling. A qualitative research strategy was used, based on a phenomenological approach. Students aged 18 to 25 participated in the study, which used semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling to collect data. Data were analysed using theme analysis (Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke, 2006). The findings revealed several interconnected difficulties, including a lack of awareness of counselling, the idea that counselling is a last resort, internalised stigma, fear of being judged, and issues of confidentiality. Participants also exhibited a clear preference for self-reliance and informal sources of support, such as friends. Moreover, lack of use of the services was also attributed to familial influence, cultural silence around mental health, and institutional factors such as lack of understanding and accessibility. The study finds that barriers to therapy are influenced by psychological, social, cultural, and institutional factors. It underscores the importance of improving understanding, reducing stigma, and establishing safe, accessible counselling settings in schools.
Keywords
Counselling, Help-Seeking Behaviour, College Students, Stigma, Barriers, Qualitative Research
How to cite this paper
@article{1718257,
author = {Gunika Arora, Dr. Shruti Mishra},
title = {Barriers to Utilization of Counselling Services Among College Students},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {11},
pages = {5213-5221},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718257.pdf},
abstract = {College students are experiencing substantially more mental health issues, although use of counselling services remains low. The study aims to explore the barriers that influence college student's help-seeking behaviour, as well as their beliefs, attitudes, and experiences with counselling. A qualitative research strategy was used, based on a phenomenological approach. Students aged 18 to 25 participated in the study, which used semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling to collect data. Data were analysed using theme analysis (Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke, 2006). The findings revealed several interconnected difficulties, including a lack of awareness of counselling, the idea that counselling is a last resort, internalised stigma, fear of being judged, and issues of confidentiality. Participants also exhibited a clear preference for self-reliance and informal sources of support, such as friends. Moreover, lack of use of the services was also attributed to familial influence, cultural silence around mental health, and institutional factors such as lack of understanding and accessibility. The study finds that barriers to therapy are influenced by psychological, social, cultural, and institutional factors. It underscores the importance of improving understanding, reducing stigma, and establishing safe, accessible counselling settings in schools.},
keywords = {Counselling, Help-Seeking Behaviour, College Students, Stigma, Barriers, Qualitative Research},
month = {May},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718257}
}