Increasing help-seeking among people with depression by self-distancing using mental time-travel

Abstract

Background Past research indicates that self-distancing through perspective-taking may increase help-seeking intentions among some people with depression. Aims The current pre-registered study tested the effect of self-distancing through mental time-travel on help-seeking attitudes, intentions, outcome expectations, and self-stigma. Methods Participants with elevated depressive symptomatology who had not yet sought help for current feelings of depression (n = 859) were randomly assigned to a self-distancing writing task, a self-immersive writing task, or a control condition. Results Help-seeking attitudes were significantly higher in the distancing condition than in the immersive or control conditions. Additionally, self-distancing through mental time-travel resulted in higher help-seeking intentions compared to the control condition but was not significantly different from the immersive condition. The immersive condition was not significantly different from the control for any outcomes. Interactions show that both self-distancing and the immersive task weakened the negative relationship between depression severity and help-seeking attitudes and intentions. Conclusion Extending scholarship investigating self-distancing and help-seeking intentions, results show that self-distancing through mental time-travel can result in more favorable help-seeking attitudes compared to a control.