Universities and student mental health at the intersection of communication, representations, and stigma. An international comparative study

Abstract

This article analyzes communication regarding mental health in four public universities from four different countries, comparing the stigma towards mental health problems and its impact on the willingness to use university health services. Findings show that while stigma of mental health services is generally low, there are differences by country. Attitudes toward mental health services and reasons for rejecting services vary by country. Previous use of men-tal health services predicts less stigma and more willingness to use services. results suggests that understanding stigma can help guide internal communication around mental health in universities to improve well-being and use of services