Australian Rural Adolescents’ Experiences of Accessing Psychological Help for a Mental Health Problem
Open accessAbstract
Objective: This study aims to explore Australian rural adolescents' experiences of accessing help for a mental health problem in the context of their rural communities. Design and setting: A qualitative research design was used whereby university students who had sought help for a mental health problem during their adolescence were interviewed about their experiences. Interviews were conducted face‐to‐face at the university. Main outcome measures: A semi‐structured interview schedule was designed around the study's main research questions. Audio‐taped interviews were transcribed and thematically coded using a constant comparative method. Participants: Participants were first‐year undergraduate psychology students between the ages of 17 and 21 years who sought help for a mental health issue during their adolescence and who at that time resided in a rural area. Results: Participants highlighted various barriers to seeking help for mental health problems in the context of a rural community, including: social visibility, lack of anonymity, a culture of self‐reliance, and social stigma of mental illness. Participants' access to help was primarily school‐based, and participants expressed a preference for supportive counselling over structured interventions. Characteristics of school‐based helpers that made them approachable included: ‘caring’, ‘nonjudgemental’, ‘genuine’, ‘young’, and able to maintain confidentiality. Conclusions: The findings support previous research that reveals barriers to help seeking for mental health problems that are unique to the culture of rural communities. The study raises questions about the merit of delivery of primary mental health care to young people via GPs alone and suggests that school‐based counsellors be considered as the first step in a young person's access to mental health care.
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In emerging adulthood, young people can be more equipped for independent help-seeking than adolescents, but family and friends continue to play a central role in providing the skills and resources needed to access healthcare and overcome system hurdles.
“In emerging adulthood, findings suggest that young people can be more equipped for independent help-seeking than adolescents, but that family and friends continue to play a central role in providing the skills and resources needed to access healthcare and overcome system hurdles (Breslin et al. 2021; Boyd et al. 2007; Moen and Hall-Lord 2019; Lynch et al. 2023).”
From "You Have the Choice of Whether You're Going to Get Help or Attempt Suicide": Exploring the Process and Impact of Mental Health Help-Seeking with Young People (16–25 Years) (2025) · cites this paper as Boyd et al. 2007
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“…more equipped for independent help-seeking than adolescents, but that family and friends continue to play a central role in providing the skills and resources needed to access healthcare and overcome system hurdles (Breslin et al. 2021; Boyd et al. 2007; Moen and Hall-Lord 2019; Lynch et al. 2023).”
- Authors
- Boyd, C., Francis, K., Aisbett, D., Newnham, K., Sewell, J., Dawes, G., & Nurse, S.
- Affiliations
- Federation University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Boyd, Candice
- ORCID
- Boyd, Candice
- Venue
- Australian Journal of Rural Health
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-05-29
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 196-200
- ISSN
- 1038-5282 (ISSN-L)
- 1440-1584
- OpenAlex
- W2066570052
- Cited by
- 104
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 7.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Australian Journal of Rural Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- FedUni ResearchOnline (Federation University Australia) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Keywords
- adolescent mental health, help-seeking barriers, rural adolescents, rural communities, mental health stigma, school counseling, primary care mental health, confidentiality, social visibility, youth experiences
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Psychology, Adolescent, Adult, Attitude to Health, Confidentiality, Counseling, Empathy, Family Practice, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Health Services Needs and Demand, Humans, Male, Mental Health Services, Professional-Patient Relations, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Concept, Stereotyping, Student Health Services, Universities, Victoria, Rural Health Services, Qualitative Research
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