Barriers to Help Seeking Among 12th Graders

The focus group method was used to study barriers to help seeking among 12th-grade high school students. Reported barriers by 12th graders were similar to those for the 9th graders studied by C. R. Lindsey and J. Kalafat (1998). The categories of barriers identified were dual roles, psychologically inaccessible, nonhelpful responses, judgmental-shows favoritism, breach of confidentiality, out of touch with teens, active negativity, and too busy. The findings of the present study suggest that younger (i.e., 9th-grade) and older (i.e., 12th-grade) high school students have similar concerns about help seeking. The implications of the findings are discussed for mental health consultants and other school personnel. Recommendations for future research are provided.