An Examination of College Students’ Perspectives on Communication Strategies and Access to Mental Health Services at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8250577 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Candace L Riddley, Candace Riddley (Jackson State University, corresponding author), Patrice Jenkins (Jackson State University), Katina Lang-Lindsey, Katina Lang‐Lindsey (0000-0003-1547-8587, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University), Val Livingston (0000-0001-6178-4927, Norfolk State University), Ahfiya Howard (East Texas A&M University), Latonya Bullie (Jackson State University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 144-168 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Urban Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2474-8684 • E-ISSN: 2474-8692 |
| Publisher | Springer Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1891/usw-2025-0009 |
| OpenAlex | W4417186326 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
Background: Despite rising mental health concerns, African American students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) face barriers that limit their awareness and use of counseling services, emphasizing the need to examine how communication strategies affect access. Objective: This article examines the effectiveness of communication strategies used by HBCUs to promote mental health services and identifies gaps between available support and student awareness. Methods: This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with 14 African American students at a public HBCU to explore how communication strategies affect awareness and use of mental health services. Findings: HBCU students had limited awareness of mental health services, relied on traditional communication methods, preferred digital platforms like social media, and reported infrequent messaging. Conclusion: The findings suggest that HBCU students have general knowledge of mental health services, current communication relies on traditional methods often overlooked, students prefer digital platforms like social media, and messaging is infrequent. Future research should explore gender differences, regional variations, and effective social learning strategies to further enhance outreach and service utilization
Digital divide · Health communication · Higher education · Historically black colleges and universities · Mental health · Outreach · Qualitative research · Service provider · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Social Media in Health Education
| Highly cited | No |
|---|