249 The Professional Counselor™ Volume 12, Issue 3, Pages 249–261 http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org © 2022 NBCC, Inc. and Affiliates doi: 10.15241/mtk.12.3.249 Michael T. Kalkbrenner, Gabriella Miceli Barriers to Seeking Counseling Among STEM Students: The Revised Fit, Stigma, and Value Scale Michael T. Kalkbrenner, PhD, NCC, is an associate professor at New Mexico State University. Gabriella Miceli, MS, LPC-A, is a doctoral student at New Mexico State University. Correspondence may be addressed to Michael T. Kalkbrenner, 1780 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, NM 88003, mkalk001@nmsu.edu. Meeting the mental health needs of students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors is particularly challenging for professional counselors who work in college settings, as STEM students are a subgroup of college students that face unique risks for developing mental health issues. The scarcity of literature on STEM student mental health coupled with their reticence to seek counseling is concerning. An important next step in this line of research is understanding why STEM students are reticent to seek counseling. Accordingly, the present investigators validated STEM students’ scores on the Revised Fit, Stigma, and Value (RFSV) Scale, a screening tool for measuring barriers to seeking counseling. Results also established the capacity of STEM students’ RFSV scores to predict peer-to-peer referrals to the counseling center and revealed demographic differences in barriers to counseling. Findings have implications for enhancing professional counselors’ efforts to support STEM students’ mental health. Keywords: Revised Fit, Stigma, and Value Scale; STEM; student mental health; barriers to counseling; peer-to-peer referrals The frequency and complexity of college students presenting with mental health issues is a notable concern for professional counselors who work in university settings (Al-Maraira & Shennaq, 2021; Hong et al., 2022). Students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors are a distinctive group of college students who face unique risks for developing mental health issues (Daker et al., 2021; Kalkbrenner, James, & Pérez-Rojas, 2022; Lipson et al., 2016; Shapiro & Sax, 2011). When compared to their non-STEM counterparts, STEM students are less likely to recognize warning signs of mental distress, and they access mental health support services at lower rates than their peers. In addition, the harsh and competitive academic environment in STEM majors can exacerbate students’ risk for mental health distress (Lipson et al., 2016; Shapiro & Sax, 2011). Moreover, Rice et al. (2015) demonstrated that STEM students exhibit higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism, which is associated with higher levels of mental distress. Whereas substantial academic and financial resources exist to support STEM students (U.S. Department of Education, 2020), there is a dearth of literature on supporting STEM students’ mental health, which is essential for retaining students and ensuring their success both in and out of the classroom (Kivlighan et al., 2021; Schwitzer et al., 2018). This gap in the literature is concerning, as STEM students are at risk for mental health issues, which can lead to attrition, isolation, and suicide (Daker et al., 2021; Kalkbrenner, James, & Pérez-Rojas, 2022; Lipson et al., 2016). As just one example, academic mental health distress is a significant predictor of lower enrollment and completion rates in STEM fields (Daker et al., 2021). Moreover, Muenks et al. (2020) found that higher levels of psychological vulnerability among STEM students was a significant predictor of lower class attendance, higher dropout intentions, and less class engagement.
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