Abstract. Introduction. Access to mental health services is essential for people with mental health problems, however they often refuse or fail to seek professional help. One of the main factors that prevent people from seeking professional help is stigma in society, which refers to the negative attitudes of society towards people who have mental health problems. The purpose of the research is to study the attitudes of students in Georgia towards mental health issues and the role of stigma in accessing mental health care. Material and methods. Qualitative methods are used in the research. In-depth interviews were conducted with students in the Caucasus University. Results. Mental health is very important for students. However they lack information about mental health services. Students believe that receiving mental health care is important, but often this is not possible due to various barriers. According to them, the main barriers to receiving mental health care are stigma, self-stigma, and the high cost of the services. Conclusion. To increase students’ acceptance of mental health care, there is a need to raise awareness of mental health, which can be done through various projects and programs. This is necessary to change stereotypes and stigma with positive attitudes and acceptance of mental health services. The state could develop insurance system for students or free programs that would offer them free professional counseling.

Key words: mental health, psychological services, mental health services, stigma, self-stigma

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