Depressive Symptoms and Help-Negation among Chinese University Students in Taiwan: The Role of Gender, Anxiety and Help-seeking Attitudes

Abstract

This study extended the consideration of help-negation in regard to suicide to that of depressive symptoms in a large sample of 981 Chinese university students in Taiwan. The study examined the help-negation effects of depression and the impact of gender, anxiety, and help-seeking attitudes on that relationship. Chinese students, aged 17 to 27 years, completed a self-report survey that included measures of help-seeking behavior, depression, anxiety, and help-seeking attitudes. Results revealed higher levels of depressive symptoms were related to decreased likelihood of seeking help from friends and parents, indicating a possible help-negation effect of depression. In regard to the impact of gender, anxiety, and help-seeking attitudes, results showed that help-seeking attitudes were consistently positively correlated with seeking help from friends, parents, and professional helpers. Gender significantly moderated the relationship between depression and professional help-seeking. Implications for intervention are discussed within the Chinese cultural context.