Barriers to School Counseling Service Utilization Among High School Students in the Digital Era: Evidence from Vietnam

Abstract

Despite the growing institutionalization of school counseling services in secondary education, utilization rates among adolescents remain persistently low, particularly in developing and transitional educational contexts. Existing research has primarily focused on individual help-seeking behaviors, while limited attention has been given to the interplay between psychological barriers and institutional conditions that shape students’ access to counseling services. This study investigates the psychological and organizational factors influencing high school students’ utilization of school counseling services in a semi-urban area of Vietnam.

A convergent mixed-methods design was employed to integrate quantitative and qualitative evidence. Quantitative data were collected from 470 high school students using a structured questionnaire assessing perceived barriers to counseling access. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers and 12 school administrators responsible for student support services. Quantitative and qualitative datasets were analyzed independently and subsequently integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of counseling access barriers.

The findings reveal that students’ reluctance to seek counseling is primarily associated with perceived stigma, concerns regarding confidentiality, limited trust in counseling effectiveness, and discomfort with self-disclosure. Importantly, the qualitative findings indicate that these barriers are reinforced by institutional factors, including insufficient counseling personnel, fragmented support systems, unclear referral mechanisms, and limited coordination among school stakeholders. The results further demonstrate a disconnect between increasing awareness of adolescent mental health needs and the organizational capacity of schools to provide accessible and responsive counseling services. While digital technologies and emerging AI-supported interventions may enhance service delivery, their effectiveness appears contingent upon the existence of supportive interpersonal relationships and well-coordinated institutional structures.

This study advances the literature on adolescent help-seeking and school counseling by demonstrating that access barriers are shaped not only by individual psychological factors but also by the broader educational environment. The findings underscore the need for integrated school-based mental health strategies that strengthen trust, confidentiality, and institutional collaboration to improve counseling utilization among adolescents in rapidly changing educational contexts.