Student intentions to engage instructors in mental health-related conversations: An application of the theory of planned behavior

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.

Keywords:

• College students
• instructor-student communication
• mental health
• theory of planned behavior

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Chapman University.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.