The Importance of Norms and Efficacy in Predicting Undocumented College Students' Intentions to Talk to an On-Campus Mental Health Professional

• Published in: Health communication Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 230 - 241
• Main Authors: Kam, Jennifer A., Mendez Murillo, Roselia, Cornejo, Monica, Mendoza, Nicole
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 01-02-2022; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: College students; Colleges & universities; Efficacy; Families & family life; Friendship; Health services; Health services utilization; Humans; Intention; Medical personnel; Mental Health; Mental health professionals; Mental health services; Multivariate statistical analysis; Norms; Self Efficacy; Self esteem; Social Norms; Stigma; Stress management; Structural equation modeling; Students; Talking; Universities
• ISSN: 1041-0236; 1532-7027
• DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2020.1834208

Drawing from an extended version of a focus theory of normative conduct, the extended parallel process model, and self-stigma, this study examined factors that predict undocumented college students' (UCS) intentions to talk to an on-campus mental health professional (MHP). Two hundred thirty-seven UCS completed an online survey between January-June, 2019. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the more UCS believed their friends talked to an on-campus MHP (i.e., descriptive norms), the more likely UCS were to believe that talking to an on-campus MHP would help them manage their undocumented-related stress (i.e., response efficacy). In turn, UCS were more likely to report intentions to talk to an on-campus MHP. Furthermore, family injunctive norms were positively associated with self-efficacy and communication efficacy, and in turn, intentions to talk to an on-campus MHP. Unexpectedly, friend injunctive norms were not significantly associated with the three types of efficacy or intentions. Lastly, although family and friend injunctive norms were negatively associated with self-stigma, self-stigma was not significantly associated with intentions to talk to an on-campus MHP. This study's findings emphasize the importance of addressing different types of norms and efficacy when attempting to reduce UCS' under-utilization of on-campus mental health services.