College students avoid getting help for anxiety and depression.

According to a recent University of Michigan study described here, the majority of college students with "significant symptoms of anxiety or depression" don't seek out treatment:

At U-M where the study occurred, students have access to free mental health and counseling services. Yet, among those with significant symptoms of depressive or anxiety disorders, anywhere from 37 to 84 percent of students didn't seek treatment, depending on the disorder. However, 72 percent of students with positive screens for major depression did acknowledge they needed help for their mental health. Overall, about 10 percent of students surveyed said they received therapy, and the same percentage said they took some type of psychotropic drug.

"We can't assume that reducing financial barriers is enough," Eisenberg said. The study found that one of the biggest predictors of whether a student sought help was socioeconomic background — -students who reported growing up in poor families were almost twice as likely not to seek help. Poor students were also much more prone to symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.

Other factors associated with not seeking treatment included lack of perceived need, being unaware of services or insurance coverage, skepticism about effectiveness, or being Asian or Pacific Islander. Women were more likely to realize they need treatment and seek it, he said.

It's important to understand what motivates students to seek help or not for several reasons, Eisenberg said. Most mental disorders first occur before age 24, and those problems often have long-term implications into adulthood. Studying a university setting lends insight into what other factors besides affordability keep people from seeking help.

I can verify that last bit personally. I developed panic disorder in my mid-20s, and because I didn't seek help (even after I finally figured out what was happening to me -- that I wasn't having heart or stomach or other "real" medical problems -- which took some 5 years to do), ended up developing all kinds of avoidance behaviors. And ended up paying a real cost in terms of lost friendships, missed social and professional opportunities, loss of confidence, and so on.

Really: If you're experiencing mental health problems, get help. Don't wait. If you do, odds are things'll end up worse. And -- trust me -- the people in your life won't think less of you for it. In fact, they'll probably admire you for facing your problems head-on.