The Relationship Between Digital Mental Health Literacy and Psychological Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Young People: The Roles of Trust and Social Stigma

Abstract

This study aimed to explain how digital mental health literacy shapes young people’s recognition of psychological difficulties and their decisions to seek help, with particular attention to the roles of trust and social stigma. A qualitative design using thematic analysis was employed. Participants were 24 young people aged 18–29 years residing in Tehran, Iran, who were recruited through purposive maximum-variation sampling. Eligibility required having used the internet, social media, websites, or digital applications to obtain mental health information during the preceding year. Data were collected exclusively through individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached; preliminary saturation occurred after the twenty-first interview, and three additional interviews were conducted to confirm it. The data were analyzed through the six-phase thematic analysis process, supported by NVivo 14 software. Five main categories were identified: “digital literacy as a means of naming and initially recognizing psychological experiences,” “critical appraisal versus confusion and self-diagnosis,” “conditional trust based on source credibility and privacy protection,” “social stigma and reliance on concealed help-seeking,” and “transition from digital searching to professional support.” Digital mental health literacy facilitated symptom recognition, communication of distress, and identification of potential sources of support when it included critical evaluation skills. However, conflicting information, algorithmically amplified content, privacy concerns, low institutional trust, and fear of social judgment delayed professional help-seeking or confined help-seeking to anonymous digital environments. The relationship between digital mental health literacy and psychological help-seeking is neither direct nor linear. Trust and social stigma operate as contextual and intermediary mechanisms that determine whether digital knowledge is translated into professional action. Merely increasing access to mental health information is therefore insufficient. Digital mental health literacy initiatives should incorporate source verification, awareness of the limits of digital self-help, privacy and data-security education, clear referral pathways, and culturally appropriate stigma-reduction strategies.