Knowledge, attitudes, and utilization of mental health services among undergraduates at the University of Lagos, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Background : There is an increasing burden of mental health issues,and these issues often emerge in early adulthood, affecting many university students; however, mental health services remain underutilized due to stigma and limited awareness. the best of our knowledge, studies on the knowledgeattitudes and utilization of mental health services in this area are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudesand utilization of mental health services among undergraduates at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted withundergraduate students at the University of Lagos from August to November 2024. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 450 students. Tests of association were assessed using chi-square tests (p < 0.05). Results :Most of the respondents (72%) had good knowledge of mental health services, and medical students demonstrated significantly better knowledge (94.4%, score ≥50% on knowledge metrics) nonmedical students did (69.2%). Most of the respondents (66.6%) exhibited a positive attitude toward mental health services. Despite this, mental health service utilization was generally low, with only 23% of respondents reporting good utilization of these services. The study also identified gender, religion, ethnicity, highest level of education, and academic department as significant factors influencing mental health service utilization among university students. Conclusion : The study revealed that while university students generally had good knowledge and a positive attitude toward mental health services, utilization of these services remained low. Few students engaged with these services regularly, revealing a gap between awareness and actual usage. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve service accessibility, promote help-seeking behavior, and address stigma and other barriers to the utilization of mental health services.