Perceived Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Treatment Among Clinical Psychology Graduate Students

Recent evidence suggests that over 80% of professional psychology faculty and trainees have experienced mental health difficulties; however, few seek mental health treatment. Clinical psychology graduate students face various barriers to receiving treatment, including financial concerns, stigma, and concerns about confidentiality. This study explored psychology graduate student perceptions of the availability of accessible mental health resources provided by their program. Graduate student members of the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP; N = 74) completed an online survey with multiple-choice and open-response questions assessing access to and need for mental health resources. Findings showed that the majority of respondents (51.4%; n = 38) do not have a clear avenue within their graduate program for identifying available mental health resources. Among those respondents who did receive resources from their program, 21.0% indicated that the resources provided were not up to date and 34.5% reported that the resources were not affordable. Qualitative analyses revealed that students viewed updating mental health resources, identifying affordable care options/financial assistance, and reducing social stigma around seeking mental health treatment as some of the critical factors to facilitate treatment access. Findings from this survey reflect a need for clinical psychology programs to address and mitigate barriers associated with mental health care access among graduate students. Public Significance Statement This study evaluated clinical psychology graduate students' perceptions of access to mental health resources within their programs, barriers to initiating mental health treatment, and resources that may assist with addressing these concerns. The findings highlight clear initiatives that psychology doctoral programs can implement to reduce the mental health burden on trainees.