Help For Mental Illness Research Articles

Impact of a psychoeducational intervention on willingness to seek help for depression among African American young adults.

Despite the success of psychoeducational interventions at improving willingness to seek professional help for mental illness, limited research explores the effect of culturally tailored psychoeducational interventions on African American (AA) college students. The objective of this study was to determine if exposure to a culturally relevant psychoeducational intervention impacted AA young adult attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, depression stigma, disclosure and willingness to seek help for depression. We conducted a one-group pre- and post-test intervention study of AA college students (N = 75). The 2.5-h intervention featured presentations, large-group discussions, videos, and active learning exercises and was guided by applying a cultural adaptation framework to an existing psychoeducational intervention. The self-administered surveys were created using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a guide. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests. A total of 70 participants completed both pre- and post-test surveys. Overall, willingness, attitude, and disclosure significantly increased after the intervention (p < .001). Additionally, depression stigma significantly decreased after the intervention, indicating fewer stigmatizing beliefs about depression (p < .001). Willingness to seek help for depression among AA college students can be improved through culturally relevant and interactive psychoeducational interventions. These interventions can also improve negative attitudes and perceived behavioral control toward seeking help and decrease stigmatizing beliefs. More research is needed to explore the longitudinal impact of culturally relevant psychoeducational interventions and how they may affect actual help-seeking behavior among AA college students.

Older Adult Mental Health: A Student-Led Project to Reduce Stigma Among Residents Living in a Publicly Supported Housing

Twenty percent of older adults report having a concern about their mental health. Mental health concerns lead to impairments in physical, mental, and social functioning and complicate the management of chronic illness. These concerns are widely underrecognized and often untreated or under-treated in community-dwelling older adults. A 6-week student-led mental health promotion initiative for older adults living in publicly supported housing was developed. The initiative included student-led weekly “mood” screenings which aimed to destigmatize mental illness and educational sessions teaching the older adults how to use iPads and access the internet and Wi-Fi. The goal of the project was to have residents engage in telehealth visits that promote mental health and improve quality of life. Ungirded by the RE-AIM framework, the initiative focused on achieving Reach by ensuring participants had sufficient knowledge and skill in using the telehealth technology and were not encumbered by mental illness stigma. The project sample of older adults living in publicly supported housing self-reported minimal depressive symptoms and demonstrated stigma toward seeking help for mental illness. Cultural implications contribute to these findings. To have a program with good Reach as delineated in the RE-AIM model, it must recognize facilitators and barriers. Integrating affordability, cultural congruency, and a social connection to community in its design together with the utilization of students during implementation may promote mental health and mitigate some of the negative health consequences.

A Qualitative Exploration of Sources of Help for Mental Illness in Arabic-, Mandarin-, and Swahili-Speaking Communities in Sydney, Australia.

Despite being disproportionately affected by poor mental health, culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) individuals seek help from mental health services at lower rates than others in the Australian population. The preferred sources of help for mental illness amongst CaLD individuals remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore sources of help in Arabic-, Mandarin-, and Swahili-speaking communities in Sydney, Australia. Eight focus-group discussions (n = 51) and twenty-six key informant interviews were undertaken online using Zoom. Two major themes were identified: informal sources of help and formal sources of help. Under the informal sources of help theme, three sub-themes were identified: social, religious, and self-help sources. All three communities strongly recognised the role of social sources of help, with more nuanced roles held by religion and self-help activities. Formal sources of help were described by all communities, although to a lesser extent than informal sources. Our findings suggest that interventions to support help-seeking for all three communities should involve building the capacity of informal sources of help, utilising culturally appropriate environments, and the collaboration between informal and formal sources of help. We also discuss differences between the three communities and offer service providers insights into unique issues that require attention when working with these groups.

Mental Health literacy: Perspectives from Northern Kenya Turkana adolescents

IntroductionMental illness accounts for high levels of morbidity, mortality, and poor quality of life among young people. Globally, 1 in 7 youth between 10-19 years are mentally ill making up 13% of the global burden of disease; depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder lead here. Unaddressed mental illness progresses into adulthood disrupting victims’ lives. In Kenya, school going adolescent mental illness is manifested in violent outbursts such as arson attacks, intimate partner violence and riots in school. Not much is documented of non-school going adolescents and children in Kenya even while it is estimated that they number about 1.8 million. To seek help for mental illness, one has to recognize and understand it causes.ObjectivesAn ethnographic study exploring rural based Kenyan adolescents’ conceptualizations, causes and management options for Depression, Schizophrenia and anxiety among the rural Turkana community of Northern Kenya.MethodsAn ethnographic study exploring rural based Kenyan adolescents’ conceptualizations, causes and management options for Depression, Schizophrenia and anxiety among the rural Turkana community of Northern Kenya. We conducted Focus Group Discussions with 32 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 divided into four groups; school going girls and non-school going girls and a similar two groups for boys. We first read out scenarios in which the main character exhibited symptoms of one of the three mental health conditions and analyzed the data thematically.Results32 participants described the health conditions without referring to the local names we had collected earlier; Depression (Akiyalolong) Schizophrenia (waarit/ Ngikerep) Anxiety (Ngatameta naaronok). Participants conceived the three conditions as resulting from extreme sadness attending loss, traumatic event, curses and rarely as mental illness. They assigned curses, guilt, hunger pangs, evil spells as causes and believed friends and age-mates, parents, teachers, the local chief among other options could help and rarely medical intervention.ConclusionsInterventions to improve the adolescent’s knowledge of mental illness is needed so they can seek help for themselves and possibly help others.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Why Don’t Young People Seek Help for Mental Illness? A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece

Young adults are less likely to seek professional help even though they are most likely to experience mental health problems. The aim of the present study was to investigate young adults’ attitudes towards mental illness and self-stigma of help-seeking, identify possible determinants of attitudes and self-stigma, and examine the association between attitudes towards mental illness and self-stigma of help-seeking. The sample consisted of 485 Greek young adults (24.5% men, 75.5% women) aged 18–25 years (M = 19.54, SD = 1.83) who completed the Attitudes towards Severe Mental Illness (ASMI) and the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH). The results indicated that Greek young adults hold mostly positive attitudes towards severe mental illness and help-seeking, while their unfavorable attitudes are mainly related to difficulties with viewing people with a severe mental disorder as similar to other people, and fear that by seeking professional help a person’s worth will be diminished. Gender, age, familiarity with mental health difficulties, education, and relationship status were found to be associated with young adults’ attitudes towards severe mental illness and self-stigma of help-seeking. Finally, stereotyping, pessimistic beliefs, and negative beliefs about coping with mental illness were identified as key determinants of self-stigma of help-seeking. These findings suggest a need for age- and gender-sensitive psychoeducational interventions specifically designed to promote young adults’ mental health literacy and to ameliorate unfavorable attitudes towards mental illness in order to increase help-seeking behavior.

A review on the disparities in the identification and assessment of depression in Black adolescents and young adults. How can clinicians help to close the gap?

Depression among Black youth has been under-identified, misdiagnosed and undertreated leaving many Black youth to suffer with this potentially debilitating condition. Thus, it is crucial to evaluate how to appropriately identify and treat depression in Black adolescents. This review outlines the risk factors for the development of depression in Black adolescents, the barriers they face when attempting to access mental healthcare and culturally sensitive actions steps a primary care provider can take to help increase the appropriate diagnosis and ultimate treatment of depression in Black adolescents. Depression can present differently in Black adolescents, which leads to its under identification or misdiagnosis. Moreover, in recent years, the rate of suicide among Black adolescents has been disproportionately rising faster compared to other race/ethnic groups. There have been multiple barriers identified that can be attributed to these findings such as provider mistrust, cultural stigma against seeking help for mental illness, lack of education in the Black community about how depression presents, and lack of financial resources to access mental healthcare. By understanding the unique experiences and inequities faced by Black youth, a culturally responsive assessment can be performed as the crucial initial step in the diagnostic assessment of their depression.

Seeking Professional Help for Mental Illness: A Mixed-Methods Study of Black Family Members in the UK and Nigeria.

Seeking professional help for mental illness is a limited practice among Black family members in low and middle socioeconomic groups in the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria. Guided by the theory of planned behavior, we explored some factors restricting professional help-seeking practices among the target groups. This mixed-methods study recruited a heterogeneous sample of 105 ( ranging from 19–64 years) UK and Nigerian Black family members in low or middle socioeconomic groups. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire and open-ended questions. Collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics (version 22.0) and thematic analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in professional help-seeking behavior among the UK and Nigerian Black family members in low and middle socioeconomic groups [F (3, 83) = 1.13; p > .05]. The qualitative data analysis revealed that respondents were limited from professional help-seeking due to high consultation fees to see a mental health professional, perceived accessibility to mental health services within their various locations, stigmatization and socio-cultural factors (such as, “The perception that a man should be strong” or “Mental health isn’t as important as physical health”), concerns about the safety of information shared during professional help-seeking or therapy sessions, poor knowledge about mental health services, long waiting time to see a professional in face-to-face therapy, and risk of contracting the infectious disease in the hospital setting. Implications of findings for theory and practice and direction for future research are thus discussed.

Faculty Disclosure of Personal Mental Health History and Resident Physician Perceptions of Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness.

Distress, depression, and burnout are common during medical training. Stigma surrounding seeking help for mental illness during medical training may involve fear of negative peer perceptions, academic jeopardy, and adverse future career consequences. Faculty disclosure of personal mental health illness may reduce stigma surrounding mental health disorders and reassure and encourage trainees to seek help when needed. The authors aimed to assess the impact of faculty disclosure of mental health issues on stigma toward help-seeking during training, self-reflection about mental health, and resident physician awareness of mental health resources. Three self-selected faculty members shared their personal experiences with depression and mental health during a confidential noon conference intended for internal medicine residents at Mayo Clinic Rochester as part of their core curriculum in December 2016. Institutional and community mental health resources were provided. After the conference, attendees completed an anonymous survey assessing self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding mental health during medical training. One hundred percent of residents (39/39) agreed that they enjoyed the conference. Thirty-five of 39 (89.7%) respondents agreed that their knowledge of available mental health resources increased and 33/39 (84.6%) agreed they were more likely to pursue mental health resources after attending the conference. Thirty-eight of 39 (97.4%) residents agreed that faculty sharing their personal struggles destigmatizes mental health issues during training, and the same percentage reported engaging in postconference self-reflection regarding their own mental health and well-being. Resident conference sessions during which faculty self-disclose personal mental health experiences may help decrease the stigma of mental health issues during medical training and increase the likelihood residents will seek assistance when needed. The authors encourage further study of longer-term outcomes and actual help-seeking behaviors across learner levels and training environments.

Challenges associated with mental health management: Barriers and consequences

IntroductionMental illness has become a global public health issue and according to WHO report in 2015, United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded the highest level of depression among all countries at Eastern Mediterranean Region. Many people frequently suffer from mental health diseases but tend not to obtain help. Treatment delay can become life-threatening. ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify the barriers to seeking professional help for mental illness and the consequences of untreated mental health disorders. The study also aimed to examine outcomes in patients when help was provided by health care providers. MethodsA self-administrated survey was distributed among 377 people randomly selected from general population of three different cities at United Arab Emirates (UAE): Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Their perception of the barriers, consequences and outcomes was analyzed to achieve the objectives of the study. ResultsOverall, 341 participants completed the survey. Wrong thought regarding mental disorders (60.1%) and being ashamed (58.9%) were identified to be the most common and significant barriers (P < 0.001) that prevent people from obtaining healthcare providers’ assistance. The majority of responders reported building confidence (78.9%) and improvement in relationships (73.0%) as outcomes for taking professional help in mental illness. Moreover, many individuals believed that untreated mental illness could lead to problems with family and friends (69.2%) as well as to suicidal thoughts (56.3%). ConclusionThis research gives some insights regarding the challenges associated with mental diseases management in the UAE. Majority of responders had a negative perception of mental health service due to a lack of awareness regarding treatment effectiveness for mental disorders.

Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia using the WHO Pathway Study Encounter Form.DesignA...

Assessment of mental health needs and barriers to care in students enrolled in doctor of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences programs

IntroductionThe purpose of this study is to identify doctor of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences students' perceived barriers to mental health care and interest in mental health interventions and to assess student attitudes and perceptions of mental illness. MethodsA mixed-methods survey was given to 706 students participating in a doctor of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences curricula to assess students' perceived barriers to care, interest in mental health resources and interventions within their curricula, attitudes towards seeking treatment, and perceived stigma. The last section included free text responses in which students expressed additional comments unacknowledged by previous sections. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and free text responses were analyzed using thematic coding. ResultsFrom February to March 2018, 256 responses were received out of 706 students with a response rate of 36%. The most cited barriers to seeking mental health treatment were lack of time, lack of finances, and stigma-related concerns (25%, 13%, and 11%, respectively) with the most desired interventions being the implementation of an onsite counselor and wellness space. A majority of participants (88%) believe professional help for mental illness is effective; however, 63% cited they were negatively impacted by internal stigma. Common themes addressed in the free text responses reinforced these ideas and included additional responses regarding the impact of school culture. ConclusionStudents within a doctor of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences program experience non-stigma and stigma-related barriers to seeking mental health treatment.

Persons with serious mental illness help relatives: rates and correlates of assistance

Background: Scant research has focused on assistance provided by persons with serious mental illness (SMI) to relatives.Aims: The objectives of the present study are to (1) describe and compare rates of assistance provided by persons with SMI to relatives and vice versa and (2) examine the extent to which factors are associated with assistance provided by persons with SMI.Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed. In 2014 and 2015, 573 adults with a relative with SMI completed an online survey. Multivariate logistic regression was computed.Results: Although persons with SMI were more likely to receive than provide assistance, 61% and 37% of persons with SMI provided relatives with assistance with activities of daily living (ADL) and financial assistance, respectively. Relationship type, co-residence and frequency of in-person contact were associated with providing assistance with ADL and financial assistance. Disability status and regular alcohol use were associated with assistance with ADL. Income was related to financial assistance.Conclusions: It is critical that researchers and practitioners acknowledge the help persons with SMI provide to relatives. Implications for research and practice are addressed.

Help-seeking intention and associated factors towards mental illness among residents of Mertule Mariam town, East Gojam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: a mixed-method study

BackgroundAbout 76% and 85% of people in low and middle-income countries with severe mental illness did not get management because of fear of expected discrimination. Studying the intention to seek help for mental illness will, therefore, help to know their intended plan for help that would have a vital role to access patients with mental illness. Despite this, literature is limited in the area and community-based studies are scarce in Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular concerning help-seeking intention towards mental illness and its associated factors. Therefore, we assessed the pattern of intention to seek help and associated factors for mental illness among residents of Mertule Mariam town that would fill the gap in evidence and serve as baseline information for public health intervention.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from May to June 2017 at Mertule Mariam town. General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHQ) was used to assess the intention of help sought. Focus group discussion had also been employed to obtain qualitative data. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain a total sample of 964 participants. Data were fed into Epi Info 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. The binary logistic regression method was used and an odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval was computed. Variables in multi-variable logistic regression were considered as an independent predictor of help-seeking intention to mental illness if their P value was less than 0.05.ResultAbout 81.5% of respondents had the intent to seek help from healthcare workers. But 44.6% of participants had the intention to seek from traditional healers. Variables that had an association with help-seeking intention were having an idea that mental illness needs treatment (AOR = 3.42, 95% CI 1.1–10.55), age group of 25–34 years (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.02–2.09), mild social support (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.25–2.72), and perceived severity of mental illness.ConclusionCommunity help-seeking intent for mental health problems was still inadequate. So strengthening to deliver information about mental illness through media like radio and television to advance help-seeking intention of the community was mandatory.

Self-Efficacy and Postpartum Depression Teaching by Perinatal Nurses in a Rural Setting: A Replication Study.

Perinatal nurses in rural hospitals can play an important role in providing postpartum depression education to new mothers. Guided by Self-Efficacy Theory, this replication study used a self-report instrument to survey perinatal nurses' self-efficacy in postpartum depression teaching, self-esteem, stigma and attitudes toward seeking help for mental illness. Thirty-eight perinatal nurses employed in a rural hospital participated in the study. The results indicated perinatal nurses' postpartum depression teaching behaviors were associated with: self-efficacy related to postpartum depression teaching; social persuasion by a supervisor; prior mastery of teaching on other postpartum care topics; and vicarious experiences of observing peers teach about postpartum depression. Perinatal nurses with positive attitudes toward receiving psychological help were more likely to provide postpartum depression education.

Influencing factors of attitudes toward seeking professional help for mental illness among Korean adults.

Identifying predictors of psychological help-seeking attitudes is essential to improve access to needed mental health services. We investigated factors - particularly Big Five personality traits - that affect attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help for mental illness among Korean adults. A total of 654 participants aged 15-54 years were recruited through an online panel survey. Help-seeking attitudes for mental illness were measured by the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPH), and personality traits were measured by the Big Five Personality Inventory-10. Multivariate analyses showed that female gender, history of psychiatric diagnosis, agreeableness and openness to experience were significantly associated with positive attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help for mental illness. These findings suggest that specific personality traits should be considered when developing strategies to promote positive attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Further research using a representative community sample is needed to generalize our findings.

Partnering With Black Churches to Increase Access to Care.

Partnering With Black Churches to Increase Access to Care.

Openness to help-seeking for mental illness among Greek-Cypriots.

The aim of this study was to test a model of people's willingness to seek help for mental illness whether currently diagnosed or not. A cross-sectional design was used to test this model in a non-clinical convenience sample of Greek-Cypriots. Participants were 196 Greek-Cypriots living in Cyprus (age M = 34.50 years, SD = 14.16). They provided demographic data on their age, gender, SES and whether diagnosed or not with a mental illness, from whom they have/would seek help for a mental illness, and their willingness to seek help. They completed the Inventory of Attitudes towards Seeking Mental Health Services, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Support, and the Practical Barriers in Seeking Mental Health Services Scales, translated into Greek for this study. Approximately 24% of the sample reported being diagnosed with a mental illness within the past 12 months, and around a third of these people were taking prescribed medication. Willingness to seek help across all participants was predicted negatively by stigma and positively by openness to help. The findings of the current study extend our previous limited understanding of the factors affecting people's willingness to seek help or their intentions towards the use of mental health services among Greek-Cypriots. Future research should consider whether there are any differences in help-seeking behaviours and motivations across people experiencing different disorders. Despite this limitation in the current data, these results can, in general terms, be used to inform policy in Cyprus for mental health promotions and interventions especially with respect to fostering an open attitude towards mental illness.

Exploring Perceptions about and Behaviors Related to Mental Illness and Mental Health Service Utilization among College Students Using the Health Belief Model (HBM)

ABSTRACTBackground: Mental health service is underutilized in the United States. Adolescent and young adults, including college students, are especially unlikely to seek professional help for mental illness. This issue presents a concern, because signs and symptoms commonly appear during this part of growth and development. Purpose: The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to explore perceptions about mental illness and mental health service utilization and self-medication among college students who may or may not have a history of mental illness. Methods: A survey exploring HBM constructs and self-medicating behaviors was distributed to a population of university undergraduate students ages 18–24. A concurrent focus group of mental health care providers investigated practitioner perceptions of mental health care utilization. Results of both were analyzed for common themes. Results: Sociocultural concerns and challenges navigating through the system were the primary perceived barriers to accessing mental health services. Primary care providers were reported as a vital cue to action. Alcohol, marijuana, and prescription medications were the most frequent and preferred substances used for self-medication. Translation to Health Education Practice: The most apparent theme is the need for education and continuing school partnerships. Doing so can offer diagnosis and treatment and foster personal and social skill development.

The relationship between shame and perceived biological origins of mental illness among South Asian and white American young adults

Mental illness (MI) affects one in four people in their lifetime and a failure to seek help for MI can have grave consequences. To decrease stigma and increase help seeking, prior campaigns have promoted the biological origins of MI. Even though some research supports the efficacy of this approach, other research does not. We propose cultural differences as a partial explanation for these inconsistent results. The current study assessed ethnic differences in the relationship between perceived causes of MI, shame associated with MI and perceived family support for help seeking. White and South Asian American (SAA) undergraduate students completed an online survey (n = 177). Results indicated that SAAs were significantly more likely than whites to perceive character deficits as the cause of MI. Further, among those who had sought help for MI, ethnic differences emerged in perceptions of MI based on perceived cause. SAAs who believed that MI had biological origins perceived more shame and less family support for seeking help compared to SAAs who believed MI was due to character deficits. The converse was true for whites – those who believed that MI had biological origins perceived less shame and more family support for help seeking compared to whites who believed MI was due to character deficits. The results of the current study illuminate the role that culture plays in perceptions of MI. Further, these results have implications for interventions targeting South Asian populations and for mental health outreach in general.

The gender gap in mental health service use.

This study examines why men engage less in mental health service use, by studying how gender is performed in interactions, following the doing gender perspective. We hypothesize that seeking help for mental illness may constitute a gendered role conflict among men since help seeking is associated with femininity. Therefore, we expect that men will recommend reliance on self-care options to other men, and in cases in which professional treatment is recommended, they will prefer medication to psychotherapy. We also expect that men will report greater stigmatizing attitudes. The survey Stigma in a Global Context-Belgian Mental Health Study (2009) conducted interviews of a representative sample of the Belgian general population (N=743). The vignette technique, depicting depressive and schizophrenic symptoms, was used. Multiple linear and logistic models were estimated in SPSS. In male vignettes, self-care is more likely to be recommended, both by male and female respondents. Men are less likely to acknowledge the helpfulness of psychotherapy and women rate psychotherapy as less helpful when judging a man compared to a woman. Men rate tranquilizers as more helpful for other males than that women do for other females. Furthermore, male respondents seem to ascribe more shame and blame to the situation. The gender gap in mental health service use is due not only to men and their negative attitudes toward help seeking, but also to structured social norms that are reconstructed in interactions. Women also contribute to the maintenance of masculinity norms.