Exploring factors shaping positive attitudes of adolescents towards seeking support for mental health issues in schools: A qualitative inquiry

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Référence

*Paré-Beauchemin R, *Lavigne RM, Tougas AM, Gauthier M, Martin-Storey A. (2025). Exploring factors shaping positive attitudes of adolescents towards seeking support for mental health issues in schools: A qualitative inquiry. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.

Résumé

High schools are a prime environment for engaging with adolescents, however only a small fraction of adolescents grappling with a mental health issue pursue help from adults. While obstacles to help–seeking are well–documented, there is a lack of research, especially qualitative studies, identifying the factors that facilitate adolescents’ help seeking at school. To address this gap, individual interviews were conducted with 32 French–speaking adolescents in Quebec (Canada) to examine factors influencing their positive attitudes about seeking help for a mental health problem from an adult at school and explore how these factors varied by type of resource (informal, formal) and mental health issues (internalized, externalized). Using reflexive thematic analysis, three factors were identified: Experiencing a quality relationship, Being listened to and understood, and Believing that help is available. Findings have implications for implementing gatekeeper training in schools and educating adolescents about the benefits of school mental health services.

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