Help-seeking preference of college students in urban China after the implementation of the "open-door" policy

A sample of 466 college students (228 males, 238 females) in urban China co mpleted a questionnaire to indicate their help-seeking preferences with res pect to 8 types of problem. The results indicated that our subjects, partic ularly male students, preferred to rely on their own in resolving their pro blems, although this self-reliant tendency was less obvious for problems of future employment and severe psychological distress. When help was sought, the tendency to rely on parents was found to be stronger among females tha n males. Male students were more likely than their female counterparts to s eek help from friends and psychiatric consultation. Nevertheless, there was still great reluctance among the college students to use mental health ser vices, particularly psychiatric consultation. Lack of credibility of the pr ofessionals was a barrier more negative than stigmatization which prevented students from seeking psychiatric consultation. Moral rather than psychoso cial attribution of psychiatric illness was most predictive of the tendency to use mental health services. Findings inconsistent with those reported i n other Chinese communities are discussed.