Intentions to seek mental health services among nursing students: The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and psychological distress.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and psychological distress among nursing students and assess the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on help-seeking intentions.

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing students (N = 258), who were 89.1% female, and aged 21-66 years.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was conducted using a convenience sample from four U.S. institutions.

RESULTS

Approximately 24.4% of participants reported four or more ACEs, while 11.6% reported psychological distress. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted intentions to seek mental health services (p < .001). ACEs moderated the association between subjective norms and intentions, while psychological distress moderated the relationship between attitudes and intentions.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that trauma-related experiences and psychological distress are important factors associated with nursing students' mental health help-seeking intentions. By using more trauma-informed approaches, college-based mental health services may help reduce barriers to help-seeking among nursing students.