PERCEPTION TOWARDS GUIDANCE SERVICES AND HELP-SEEKING BARRIERS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Despite the availability of guidance services provided in schools, the students are still reluctant or lack of demand for assistance and utilization of the guidance services. This was hypothesized to be due to their perception of the guidance services and help-seeking barriers. This study sought to investigate the perception towards guidance services and help-seeking barriers among college students. This is quantitative research that mainly used a descriptive correlation research design on a sample of three hundred twenty-six (326) respondents, ISAP students, using the Slovin’s formula. The data was collected using a questionnaire with three (3) parts: a profile form as to their sex, age, religion, and course; a self-developed scale on perception towards guidance services: information and orientation, career and job placement, counseling, testing, follow-up, services for students with unique needs, evaluation, research, and referral; and a Barriers to Seeking Help Scale (BSPHS): fear of stigma, distrust in mental health professionals, self-disclosure difficulties, perceived devaluation, and lack of knowledge. The findings revealed that students had a positive perception towards guidance services, and that they also had high perceived help-seeking barriers. It also revealed that there is a significant difference when grouped based on their profile variables in terms of. Furthermore, findings revealed that there is also a significant relationship between the students’ perception towards guidance services and their help-seeking barriers. This study contributed to understand the underlying concerns about the reluctance or lack of demand and utilization of the guidance survives by the students despite its availability in the institution. Therefore, this study concludes that despite students’ positive perception towards the guidance services, it is identified that students are reluctant or lack of demand for assistance and utilization of the guidance services due to the circulating help-seeking barriers.