Emerging adulthood is a developmental period that falls between adolescence and early adulthood, and for most young people it is precisely the time of study. In addition to academic demands, a course of study also brings with it many psychosocial challenges that students must adapt to. Therefore, it is not surprising that adjustment difficulties can lead to a range of problems that can impact mental health and thus affect a young person’s mental functioning in the long term. Since most mental disorders occur by the age of 24, i.e., by the end of emerging adulthood, it is important to determine students’ attitudes toward seeking professional help. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the reasons why students seek counseling services, what difficulties they face during their studies, and finally, how they view seeking professional help. Two hundred and one students from the University of Zadar with an average age of 22 years participated in the research. The random sample consisted of a significantly larger number of female students in full-time status. The results showed that the majority of respondents received information about the activities of the Counseling Center through brochures and from colleagues. It was also found that students tend to view seeking professional help as a sign of maturity and self-care, that seeking help can prevent major difficulties from occurring, and that it is also a form of accepting support. The most common reasons students seek counseling services are anxiety, poor coping strategies, depression, and lack of selfconfidence. These categories are precisely the difficulties that students most often face during their studies (tension, fear of failure, test anxiety, lack of motivation). Although these data refer only to a convenience sample of students from the University of Zadar, they provide clear guidelines for the further work of the Student Counseling Center and the targeting of activities to the specific needs of students.

students, students counceling, mental health, attitudes toward seeking professional help