An examination of help-seeking preferences via best-worst scaling.

Subgroups of student help seekers include Formal Help Seekers who prefer professional mental health providers, Informal Help Seekers who prefer friends and family, Ambivalent Help Seekers who prefer family and friends but also keeping concerns to themselves, and Help Avoiders who prefer keeping concerns to themselves. Assessing treatment preferences among different student subgroups may constitute an initial step in identifying effective ways to address university-wide mental health concerns.