Student intentions to engage instructors in mental health-related conversations: An application of the theory of planned behavior
Date
2022-04-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of American College Health
Abstract
Objective:
Considering that college students experience mental health issues and college counseling centers are overwhelmed, this study identifies instructors as a potential mental health resource for students. This study utilizes the theory of planned behavior to investigate the relationship between students’ attitudes, injunctive and descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control, and their intentions to engage their instructors in mental health conversations.
Participants:
Participants were 311 undergraduate students at a small, private university in Southern California.
Methods:
Participants were recruited through a Communication subject pool and completed an online survey about engaging instructors in these conversations.
Results:
Results of a regression analysis indicate that all theoretical constructs positively predict students’ intentions to discuss mental health with an instructor.
Conclusions:
By providing insight into students’ intentions to utilize instructors as mental health resources on campus, these findings yield practical implications for better preparing universities and their faculty to engage in students’ mental health.
Description
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of American College Health on 04/06/2022, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07448481.2022.2060710. This article will be embargoed until 04/06/2023.
Keywords
college students, instructor-student communication, mental health, theory of planned behavior
Citation
Allie White, Hannah Ball & Sara LaBelle (2022): Student intentions to engage instructors in mental health-related conversations: An application of the theory of planned behavior, Journal of American College Health, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2022.2060710