PEMAHAMAN TENTANG KESEHATAN MENTAL DAN KECENDERUNGAN MENCARI BANTUAN PADA MAHASISWA DI KOTA MALANG

College students are a population vulnerable to mental health problems due to academic, social, and developmental demands. Mental health knowledge is considered an important factor influencing individuals’ tendency to seek help when facing psychological problems. This study aims to examine the relationship between mental health knowledge and help-seeking behavior among students in Malang City. This study employed a quantitative approach with a correlational method involving 254 students in Malang City selected through accidental sampling, consisting of 76 males and 178 females. The instruments used were the Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ) and the General Help Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ). Data were analyzed using Spearman Rank correlation, which revealed a significant positive relationship between mental health knowledge and help-seeking behavior (ρ = 0.145; p = 0.021), although the strength of the relationship was very weak. These findings indicate that higher levels of mental health knowledge are associated with a greater tendency to seek help. The results highlight the importance of enhancing mental health education to promote more adaptive help-seeking behavior among students.