Intentions to seek mental health services among nursing students: The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and psychological distress.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and psychological distress among nursing students and assess the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on help-seeking intentions. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing students (N = 258), who were 89.1% female, and aged 21-66 years. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was conducted using a convenience sample from four U.S. institutions. RESULTS: Approximately 24.4% of participants reported four or more ACEs, while 11.6% reported psychological distress. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted intentions to seek mental health services (p < .001). ACEs moderated the association between subjective norms and intentions, while psychological distress moderated the relationship between attitudes and intentions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that trauma-related experiences and psychological distress are important factors associated with nursing students' mental health help-seeking intentions. By using more trauma-informed approaches, college-based mental health services may help reduce barriers to help-seeking among nursing students.