University students' information behavior when experiencing mental health symptoms

This work-in-progress paper reports preliminary analysis of an online survey of 224 university students (undergraduate or graduate), examining their help-seeking behavior, information needs, information-seeking behavior, and information-seeking satisfaction when experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression symptoms. Information on the Internet was the most commonly used source of help and information. While most demonstrated at least mild mental illness symptoms, students were inclined to seek information around self-help/care rather than around professional help. This study extends information behavior research to the mental health context, and our future analyses will assess how students’ information behavior relates to their psychological and sociodemographic factors.