Table 4.
Undergraduates’ treatment beliefs using expert opinion as a benchmark for comparison
| Help-provider/intervention | Undergraduates (N = 4502–4651) | Mental health experts (N = 28–37) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option rated as ‘Helpful’ | Option rated as ‘Unhelpful’ | Option rated as ‘Helpful’ | Option rated as ‘Unhelpful’ | |
| % (95 % CI) | % (95 % CI) | % (95 % CI) | % (95 % CI) | |
| Professional/formal options recommended by experts | ||||
| Psychiatrist | 88.9 (88.0–89.8) | 2.4 (2.0–2.9) | 100 (100–100) | 0 (0–0) |
| Psychologist | 66.7a (65.3–68.0) | 7.0 (6.3–7.7) | 100 (100–100) | 0 (0–0) |
| Counsellor | 90.7 (89.9–91.5) | 1.8 (1.4–2.2) | 89.2 (78.7–99.7) | 2.7 (0–8.2) |
| University student counsellor | 75.3 (74.1–76.6) | 5.3 (4.7–6.0) | 75.0 (60.1–89.9) | 2.8 (0–8.4) |
| Mental health professional at University Psychiatry Unit | 70.5b (69.2–71.8) | 6.2 (5.5–6.9) | 100.0 (100–100) | 0 (0–0) |
| University Medical Officer | 51.0a (49.6–52.5) | 11.3 (10.4–12.3) | 88.9 (78.1–99.7) | 2.8 (0–8.4) |
| Organisation helping people to deal with problems | 48.7a (47.3–50.2) | 12.6 (11.6–13.5) | 83.3 (70.5–96.1) | 2.8 (0–8.4) |
| Get counselling or psychological therapy | 88.5 (87.6–89.4) | 2.2 (1.8–2.6) | 100 (100–100) | 0 (0–0) |
| Take western medicine to improve mood | 29.0a (27.7–30.3) | 26.8b (25.5–28.0) | 97.1 (91.3–100) | 0 (0–0) |
| Informal options recommended by experts | ||||
| Parents | 93.0 (92.3–93.7) | 1.6 (1.2–2.0) | 78.4 (64.5–92.3) | 10.8 (0.3–21.3) |
| Friend from University | 91.6 (90.8–92.4) | 1.3 (1.0–1.6) | 88.6 (77.5–99.7) | 2.9 (0–8.7) |
| Boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse | 87.6 (86.7–88.6) | 1.7 (1.3–2.1) | 83.8 (71.3–96.2) | 2.7 (0–8.2) |
| Do enjoyed activities | 97.0 (96.5–97.5) | 0.8 (0.5–1.0) | 94.1 (85.8–100) | 0 (0–0) |
| Meditation, yoga and relaxation exercises | 93.5 (92.8–94.2) | 1.8 (1.4–2.2) | 80.0 (66.1–93.9) | 5.7 (0–13.8) |
| Become more active | 92.0 (91.3–92.8) | 2.1 (1.7–2.5) | 85.3 (72.8–97.8) | 5.9 (0–14.2) |
| Physical exercise | 85.6 (84.6–86.6) | 2.7 (2.2–3.2) | 82.9 (69.7–96.0) | 0 (0–0) |
| Talk to others who have faced similar problems | 76.5 (75.3–77.8) | 7.2 (6.5–8.0) | 85.7 (73.5–97.9) | 5.7 (0–13.8) |
| Cut down use of alcohol/cigarettes/drugs | 76.5 (75.3–77.8) | 6.1 (5.4–6.7) | 94.1 (85.8–100) | 2.9 (0–8.9) |
| Improve sleeping habits | 74.3 (73.1–75.6) | 8.2 (7.4–9.0) | 85.7 (73.5–97.9) | 0 (0–0) |
| Get information from internet about dealing with problem | 41.4a (40.0–42.8) | 19.3 (18.2–20.5) | 80.0 (66.1–93.9) | 0 (0–0) |
| Options identified as ‘unhelpful’ by experts | ||||
| Deal with problem alone | 17.3 (16.2–18.4) | 62.8b (61.4–64.2) | 0 (0–0) | 86.1 (74.2–98.0) |
| Stop going to university | 6.4 (5.7–7.1) | 78.9 (77.7–80.1) | 2.9 (0–8.7) | 91.4 (81.7–100) |
| Use alcohol/cigarettes/drugs | 1.8 (1.4–2.1) | 90.2 (89.4–91.1) | 0 (0–0) | 94.3 (86.2–100) |
| Options not recommended by experts but rated as ‘helpful’ by ≥75 % of undergraduates | ||||
| Clergy/religious priest | 81.1b (80.0–82.3) | 4.0 (3.4–4.6) | 54.3 (36.9–71.6) | 17.1 (4.0–30.3) |
| Perform religious activities | 92.9b (92.2–93.7) | 1.6 (1.3–2.0) | 63.6 (46.3–81.0) | 6.1 (0–14.7) |
aWhere difference in rating between undergraduates and mental health experts is at least a large effect size (≥30 %)
bWhere difference in rating between undergraduates and mental health experts is at least a medium effect size (≥18 %)