Young People's Online Help-Seeking and Mental Health Difficulties: Systematic Narrative Review
- PMID: 31742562
- PMCID: PMC6891826
- DOI: 10.2196/13873
Young People's Online Help-Seeking and Mental Health Difficulties: Systematic Narrative Review
Abstract
Background: Young people frequently make use of the internet as part of their day-to-day activities, and this has extended to their help-seeking behavior. Offline help-seeking is known to be impeded by a number of barriers including stigma and a preference for self-reliance. Online help-seeking may offer an additional domain where young people can seek help for mental health difficulties without being encumbered by these same barriers.
Objective: The objective of this systematic literature review was to examine young peoples' online help-seeking behaviors for mental health concerns. It aimed to summarize young peoples' experiences and identify benefits and limitations of online help-seeking for this age group. It also examined the theoretical perspectives that have been applied to understand online help-seeking.
Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed research papers from the following major electronic databases was conducted: PsycINFO, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Xplore. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. The search was conducted in August 2017. The narrative synthesis approach to reviews was used to analyze the existing evidence to answer the review questions.
Results: Overall, 28 studies were included. The most common method of data collection was through the use of surveys. Study quality was moderate to strong. Text-based query via an internet search engine was the most commonly identified help-seeking approach. Social media, government or charity websites, live chat, instant messaging, and online communities were also used. Key benefits included anonymity and privacy, immediacy, ease of access, inclusivity, the ability to connect with others and share experiences, and a greater sense of control over the help-seeking journey. Online help-seeking has the potential to meet the needs of those with a preference for self-reliance or act as a gateway to further help-seeking. Barriers to help-seeking included a lack of mental health literacy, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, and uncertainty about the trustworthiness of online resources. Until now, there has been limited development and use of theoretical models to guide research on online help-seeking.
Conclusions: Approaches to improving help-seeking by young people should consider the role of the internet and online resources as an adjunct to offline help-seeking. This review identifies opportunities and challenges in this space. It highlights the limited use of theoretical frameworks to help conceptualize online help-seeking. Self-determination theory and the help-seeking model provide promising starting points for the development of online help-seeking theories. This review discusses the use of these theories to conceptualize online help-seeking and identify key motivations and tensions that may arise when young people seek help online.
Keywords: help-seeking behavior; internet; mental health; online behavior; self-determination theory; systematic review; youth.
©Claudette Pretorius, Derek Chambers, David Coyle. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 19.11.2019.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflicts of Interest: None declared.
Figures
Similar articles
-
Folic acid supplementation and malaria susceptibility and severity among people taking antifolate antimalarial drugs in endemic areas.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Feb 1;2(2022):CD014217. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014217. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022. PMID: 36321557 Free PMC article.
-
Do online mental health services improve help-seeking for young people? A systematic review.J Med Internet Res. 2014 Mar 4;16(3):e66. doi: 10.2196/jmir.3103. J Med Internet Res. 2014. PMID: 24594922 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Beyond the black stump: rapid reviews of health research issues affecting regional, rural and remote Australia.Med J Aust. 2020 Dec;213 Suppl 11:S3-S32.e1. doi: 10.5694/mja2.50881. Med J Aust. 2020. PMID: 33314144
-
The effectiveness of internet-based e-learning on clinician behavior and patient outcomes: a systematic review protocol.JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015 Jan;13(1):52-64. doi: 10.11124/jbisrir-2015-1919. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015. PMID: 26447007
-
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of computer and other electronic aids for smoking cessation: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Health Technol Assess. 2012;16(38):1-205, iii-v. doi: 10.3310/hta16380. Health Technol Assess. 2012. PMID: 23046909 Review.
Cited by
-
Digital mental health strategies used by young people in Aotearoa New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic: 'Just do it yourself, DIY'.Digit Health. 2024 Jul 25;10:20552076241260116. doi: 10.1177/20552076241260116. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec. Digit Health. 2024. PMID: 39070892 Free PMC article.
-
The Trajectories of Online Mental Health Information Seeking: Modeling Search Behavior Before and After Completion of Self-report Screens.Comput Human Behav. 2024 Aug;157:108267. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2024.108267. Epub 2024 Apr 18. Comput Human Behav. 2024. PMID: 38774307
-
Social media impact on psychological well-being-A cross-sectional study among the adolescents of Odisha.J Family Med Prim Care. 2024 Mar;13(3):859-863. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_325_23. Epub 2024 Apr 4. J Family Med Prim Care. 2024. PMID: 38736810 Free PMC article.
-
Innovations in Medicine: Exploring ChatGPT's Impact on Rare Disorder Management.Genes (Basel). 2024 Mar 28;15(4):421. doi: 10.3390/genes15040421. Genes (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38674356 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Breaking down barriers to mental healthcare access in prison: a qualitative interview study with incarcerated males in Norway.BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 17;24(1):292. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05736-w. BMC Psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 38632543 Free PMC article.
References
-
- WHO . Investing in Mental Health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003.
-
- Kessler RC, Amminger GP, Aguilar-Gaxiola S, Alonso J, Lee S, Ustün TB. Age of onset of mental disorders: a review of recent literature. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2007 Jul;20(4):359–64. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0b013e32816ebc8c. http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/17551351 00001504-200707000-00010 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
-
- Rickwood D, Deane F, Wilson C, Ciarrochi JV. Young people’s help-seeking for mental health problems. Aust J Adv Mental Heal. 2005;4(3):1–34. doi: 10.5172/jamh.4.3.218. - DOI
-
- Gulliver A, Griffiths KM, Christensen H. Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry. 2010 Dec 30;10:113. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-10-113. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-244X-10-113 1471-244X-10-113 - DOI - DOI - PMC - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical