Students’ perception of the online self-assessment support tools/information on depressive related disorders.
Abstract
Background: Mental health issues are prevalent among students; research has found that
university students experience significantly higher levels of psychological distress than
the general population. However, research on help seeking behavior has found that
distressed individuals are less likely to seek professional help. This study will examine
Attitudes toward online mental health resources and identify the effects of external
factors such as Social Influence and Online Tool Designs on its usage.
Results: We conducted a two-part survey about students’ perception of online mental
health resources. We modified the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); an
information system theory that models how users come to accept and use a technology.
Conclusions: Results indicate TAM-Mod predicts a substantial proportion of Intention to
Use online mental health resources. Although not all external factors are significant,
research indicates that external variables are contributing factors in the individual
decision to access and utilize online mental health resources.