Evaluation of an online psychoeducation intervention to promote mental health help seeking attitudes and intentions among young adults: Randomised controlled trial

Background Research has consistently identified a disparity between the prevalence of mental health concerns among young adults and their rates of formal help seeking. However, a few randomised controlled trials have identified effective interventions for increasing formal help seeking among young adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief online psychoeducational intervention, targeting depression, anxiety and suicide stigma, for increasing positive attitudes towards help seeking and increasing help seeking intentions among young adults. Method The study followed a single-blind parallel group randomized controlled trial design with 67 young adult (18-25 years) Australian participants, assigned to receive online psychoeducation (n=33) or online attention-matched control information (n=34) over 3 weeks. Participants in the experimental group received information on depression, anxiety, and suicide. The control group received information unrelated to mental health. Primary outcome measures were mental health literacy, mental illness stigma, attitudes toward professional help seeking and intentions to seek help. Secondary outcome variables were symptomology, satisfaction and adherence. Results Significant between-group differences were found for the pre- to post-test, including increased anxiety literacy (Cohens d=0.65), decreased depression stigma (d=0.53), and increased help seeking attitudes and intentions for the experimental group (d=0.58 and d=0.53, respectively). Limitations Due to the small sample size and homogenous nature of the sample, generalisations should be made with caution. Conclusions This study demonstrates the utility and effectiveness of a brief online psychoeducation intervention for promoting help seeking among young adults.