Many university students experiencing mental ill-health do not access available support, creating a gap between service need and use. Researchers from The University of Melbourne analysed 4,375 Australian university students with probable depression and/or anxiety to examine awareness and use of mental health services. Compared with domestic students, international students had substantially higher odds of being unaware of university psychological services and substantially lower odds of accessing mental health services in the previous 12 months. Cost was the most commonly reported barrier to accessing care, while Google was the most common source of health information. The findings highlight the importance of making university mental health services visible, easy to navigate and affordable, particularly for international students. Regular and targeted promotion of available services may provide a practical way to strengthen awareness and improve pathways to support.
Citation: Ngo, L., Sanci, L., Williams, I., Duncan, A-M., & Russell, M. A cross-sectional investigation of university students’ mental health service awareness and use. Higher Education Research & Development, 2026. (link)