ABSTRACT

This study seeks to understand how communicative and sociocultural factors influence Black college students’ previous interpersonal communication about mental health issues and current intention to do so. Previous research found that Black individuals preferred to address mental health issues interpersonally within the family or with trusted others rather than to seek professional help. This mixed-methods study conducted formative interviews and a cross-sectional survey with Black college students from three public universities. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) measures were utilized to examine the relevant communicative and sociocultural factors. Previous interpersonal communication about mental health with others was low among Black college students, and there was a significant gap between current intention and previous behaviors. The results highlight the difficulties of “simply talking” about mental health issues. They also indicate the importance of “showing through behavior,” as the descriptive norm referents were the strongest influencers of both intention and behavior. Practical implications for community and campus-based interventions to improve mental wellness among Black college students were discussed.

摘要

本研究旨在了解交流和社会文化因素如何影响黑人大学生之前关于心理健康问题的人际交流以及目前这样做的意图。先前的研究发现，黑人更喜欢在家庭内部或与可信赖的人之间解决心理健康问题，而不是寻求专业帮助。这项混合方法研究对来自三所公立大学的黑人大学生进行了形成性访谈和横断面调查。计划行为理论 (TPB) 测量被用来检查相关的交际和社会文化因素。黑人大学生以前与他人有关心理健康的人际交流较低，当前意图与以前的行为之间存在显着差距。结果突出了“简单谈论”心理健康问题的困难。它们还表明“通过行为展示”的重要性，因为描述性规范指称是意图和行为的最强影响者。讨论了以社区和校园为基础的干预措施对改善黑人大学生心理健康的实际影响。