“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)

Louise Lynch (), Anne Moorhead, Maggie Long and Isobel Hawthorne-Steele
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Louise Lynch: School of Communication and Media, Institute for Nursing and Health Research, Ulster University, York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK
Anne Moorhead: School of Communication and Media, Institute for Nursing and Health Research, Ulster University, York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK
Maggie Long: School of Communication and Media, Centre for Communication and Media Research, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, Ulster University, York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK
Isobel Hawthorne-Steele: School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-28

Abstract: Background: Youth suicide is a global issue and a type of death that can be prevented through early access to evidence-based mental health interventions, which can contribute to improved quality of life as well as health, educational and employment outcomes. Young people are encouraged to seek help for mental health problems, yet help-seeking rates remain low. Objective: The aim of this research was to explore how young people with a mental health problem decide to search and ask for professional help, and the impact of help-seeking experiences. Methods: Young people aged 16–25 years with experiences of help-seeking to mental health services were recruited ( N = 18). Data analysis was informed by Constructivist Grounded Theory methods, and the findings were presented across four sub-categories: 1 . Deciding to Seek Help ; 2. Searching for the Right Help ; 3. Reflecting on Help-seeking Experiences ; and 4. Living with the Impacts of Help-seeking . Findings: Young people often sought help while highly distressed and required the skills and resources of a family member or friend to access the right type of help. Help-seeking was multi-episodic and had lasting positive and negative impacts. Young people’s help-seeking patterns were found to be similar to the ways in which they problem-solve in learning contexts, and the concept of a formal help-seeking skillset was presented. Conclusions: To minimise harm and improve provision and outcomes for young people’s health, education, and employment, research needs to urgently address the theoretical gap by developing distinct youth mental health help-seeking models or frameworks that acknowledge and incorporate how young people decide, search, and ask for help, and the important social relationships that support this process.

Keywords: young people; mental health; help-seeking; early intervention; youth suicide; healthcare experiences; constructivist grounded theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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