Document Type
Oral Presentation
Publication Date
4-24-2026
Year of Award
2026
Date Assignment Submitted
2026
Abstract
Universities across the United States invest significant resources into student mental health services, yet many Generation Z students do not fully engage with the support available to them. Students consistently report high levels of stress and psychological distress, yet many students do not take the step of using available services. Existing research suggests that motivation may play a critical role in whether students engage at all. Drawing from self-determination theory, this presentation explores how autonomous motivation, the sense that seeking help is a personally meaningful and self-directed choice, may influence whether students choose to seek support in the first place. When students feel that seeking help is truly their choice, that they can navigate the process confidently, and that they feel understood and supported, they are more likely to take the step of seeking support. This presentation synthesizes current research to examine how autonomous motivation shapes student engagement and how campuses can design environments that support it. Rather than focusing solely on increasing access, the discussion highlights how communication, service design, and student outreach can foster autonomy and reduce psychological barriers to follow-through. Viewing motivation as part of the help-seeking process may shift how we understand why available services go unused. Rather than assuming students lack awareness or need, this perspective suggests that how students experience autonomy and choice may shape whether they engage at all.
Publisher
Lynn University
Conference/Symposium
Lynn University Student Research Symposium
Contest
Oral Presentation
City/State
Boca Raton, FL
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Instructor
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Brandy Whitford
Recommended Citation
Shukla, V. (2026, April 24). Understanding motivation and student engagement in campus mental health services [Oral presentation]. Lynn University Student Research Symposium, Boca Raton, FL, United States.
