Attitude Outweighs Knowledge: Predicting University Students' Likelihood to Offer Mental Health First Aid to Peers

Abstract

Background: The escalating prevalence of mental health concerns among university students underscores the critical role of peers as a first line of support. However, the specific factors that motivate students to intervene, particularly the interplay between their knowledge, attitudes, and helping behaviors, require further empirical investigation to inform effective peer-support initiatives. This study aimed to determine whether university students' knowledge of mental health first aid and their attitudes toward mental health issues predict their self-reported likelihood of helping a peer in distress.  A cross-sectional survey was administered to 350 undergraduate students. Participants completed measures assessing their mental health knowledge (a true/false scale), attitudes (a Likert-scale questionnaire), and their likelihood of offering support to a stressed peer. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and linear regression. Both knowledge (r = .43, p < .001) and attitudes (r = .54, p < .001) were significantly correlated with helping likelihood. Regression analysis confirmed that both were significant unique predictors, with attitude (β = .43, p < .001) demonstrating a substantially stronger influence than knowledge (β = .18, p = .015). The findings indicate that while knowledge is a factor, a student's personal attitudes are a more powerful driver of helping behavior. This suggests that campus mental health promotion strategies should evolve beyond purely educational campaigns to include targeted interventions designed to foster positive, non-stigmatizing attitudes, thereby empowering students to become active agents of support within their community.