Mental Health Help-Seeking Attitudes of Congolese College Students

• In Event: Mental Health and Help-Seeking Across Cultural Contexts

Abstract

There is limited research on African immigrant’s mental health. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to illuminate the mental health help-seeking attitudes of Congolese college students. Guided by a theoretical framework of acculturation, participants completed semi-structured interviews that lasted between 60-90 minutes. The findings of this study indicated negative attitudes toward mental health help-seeking that is reinforced by cultural stigma and a lack of education. The implications for counselor education, professional counselors, and Congolese communities are outlined.

Author

• Rumbidzai Mushunje, University of North Carolina - Charlotte