Help-seeking Behavior Research Articles

Trial to compare mixed-use (multi-use and single-use) intermittent catheter management with single-use management over 12 months (The MultICath Trial): protocol for a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial

IntroductionEvaluating the safety and acceptability of reusing catheters for intermittent catheterisation (IC) is one of the top 10 continence research priorities identified by the UK James Lind Alliance Priority Setting...

An evaluation of youth mental health first aid training with law enforcement officers.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training has been adopted across the United States to teach adults how to identify and respond to youth mental health challenges and crises. Evaluations of YMHFA have yet to be undertaken with law enforcement populations, although agencies and officers are participating in the training. The present study implemented and evaluated YMHFA with law enforcement officers (N = 446) across a southeastern state. A longitudinal survey design (pretest, posttest, 90-day follow-up) was employed to measure training participants' satisfaction with the training and changes to seven constructs: mental health knowledge; confidence to engage in help-seeking behaviors; intentions to intervene; positive attitudes toward youth with mental health needs; negative attitudes toward community responsibility for youth with mental health needs; positive attitudes toward youth with mental health needs living in the community; and preparedness. Results of analyses demonstrated statistically significant improvements among all constructs immediately following training completion, and participants generally reported being satisfied with the training. However, most of the improvements observed immediately following the training disappeared at the 90-day follow-up, with only participants' reported confidence and preparedness continuing to show improvement over pretest scores. The implications of these findings for law enforcement officers, their agencies, and researchers are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Able and willing: Infants selectively seek help from competent and benevolent others.

Young children often encounter unsolvable problems with which they require others' help. To receive adequate assistance, children must be savvy about whom they seek help from: Effective helpers must possess both the ability to help (e.g., competence) and a willingness to do so (e.g., benevolence). Although past work suggests that information about competence and benevolence can inform young children's help-seeking behavior, it remains unclear how and whether children utilize said factors independently of each other. Furthermore, it is unclear whether they can generalize potential helpers' competence from one task to another. The current experiments examined whether 22- to 23-month-olds confronted with a broken toy selectively sought help from agents who had previously demonstrated either competence (Experiment 1) or benevolence (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, infants preferred to seek help from a competent agent who successfully opened a closed box over one who failed to do so. In Experiment 2, infants selectively sought help from a benevolent agent who helped a third party by returning a lost ball, over an agent who stole the ball instead. These patterns of selectivity were not driven by associative valence matching; in Experiment 3, infants showed no preference for an agent who was itself helped versus an agent who was hindered. These results suggest that before their second birthday, infants independently utilize cues to both competence and benevolence to inform their help seeking, using information generalized from novel contexts. We discuss the potential nature of this generalization as well as directions for future work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The interrelationship between women’s help-seeking experiences for vaginismus and their sense of self: a qualitative study and abductive analysis

ABSTRACT Objective There is a lack of research on women’s holistic experiences of vaginismus, also called sexual pain-penetration disorder, from their perspective. To address this gap, an abductive qualitative study aimed to examine women’s help-seeking experiences for vaginismus, and its impact on their sense of self. Methods This study was informed by a feminist approach to the theory of self focused on participants’ negotiation of dis/empowerment when help-seeking for vaginismus. Twenty-one participants aged 19–37 years (mean 27.6 years) and diagnosed with vaginismus in Australia participated in semi-structured interviews, which were thematically analysed. Results Three themes were developed: Interconnected constructions of womanhood and help-seeking, Elicit agency to move forward, Resilience to surmount challenges with subthemes. Participant’s overall help-seeking experiences, within and outside the healthcare system, shaped their sense of self in ways that drove their approach/es to future help-seeking behaviours. Conclusions Positive help-seeking experiences for vaginismus strengthened participants’ sense of self to persevere with treatment even when it was difficult. Conversely, negative help-seeking experiences led to participants’ weakened sense of self which was often caused by a gap between their ideal and perceived self. This led to negative feelings and responses of demotivation or halting subsequent help-seeking. Recommendations are provided to improve health professional practice to support women help-seeking for vaginismus, and to help close the gap between their ideal and perceived selves. Such insight can help to empower women’s sense of self and motivate them to persevere with help-seeking to experience improvement for their vaginismus and quality of life.

An examination of sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing help-seeking attitudes and behaviors among adolescents with mental health problems.

This study investigated sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing help-seeking attitudes and behavior among adolescents with mental health problems. As part of the ProHEAD ("Promoting Help-seeking using E-technology for ADolescents") consortium a school-based, online assessment of sociodemographic information, psychopathology, risk-taking and self-harming behavior, help-seeking attitudes and behavior, and barriers to help-seeking was conducted in adolescents aged ≥ 12 years recruited from randomly selected schools in five regions of Germany. Linear regression analyses with the LMG formula were performed to explore predictors of help-seeking attitudes and behavior and assess their relative importance. Nine thousand five hundred and nine participants (95.5%) completed the online assessment (mean age: 15.1 years, 58.6% female). In total, 1606 participants (16.9%) showed relevant mental health problems (e.g., depressive and eating disorder symptoms, alcohol problems, and thoughts of self-harming behavior). Among them, 895 (55.7%) reported having sought help (lifetime), with higher rates for informal (n = 842, 52.4%) compared to professional (n = 380, 23.7%) sources. High help-seeking propensity emerged as the most important factor contributing to professional help-seeking, followed by elevated levels of psychopathology and perceived barriers, with sociodemographic factors being less impactful. Psychopathological severity also outweighed sociodemographic factors in predicting negative help-seeking attitudes. These findings indicate that attitudes towards seeking professional help, perceived barriers, and psychopathology severity critically influence limited adolescent help-seeking behavior. This emphasizes the need for initiatives that promote help-seeking, reduce negative attitudes, and address structural barriers in adolescent mental health care.

Beliefs About the Causes of Alzheimer's Disease Among Latinos in New York City.

Latinos face health disparities in Alzheimer's disease (AD), with high disease prevalence relative to non-Latino whites and barriers to healthcare access. Several studies have found misconceptions about AD among Latinos that were linked to reduced preventative or help-seeking behavior. To improve understanding of illness perceptions among Latinos, we examined beliefs about the causes of AD, one of the five dimensions of illness representations from Leventhal's Self-Regulation Theory, among a sample of N = 216 Latinos. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with participants aged 40 to 64 (average age 53 years) living in northern Manhattan. Seven distinct causes of AD were identified, though participants demonstrated a general understanding of AD as a multifactorial disease. Genetics was found to be the most endorsed cause of AD, followed by unhealthy lifestyle factors. Most Latinos who believed psychosocial factors played a critical role in AD development were first-generation immigrants. No participants attributed AD to a normal process of aging, and few ascribed the disease to brain damage from stroke or head injuries. Several participants expressed the belief that environmental contaminants can cause AD, which has received little mention in prior studies. Though only a small number thought AD could occur by chance, most participants remained uncertain about the exact causes of the disease and used lay knowledge to explain their beliefs. Our findings help identify areas where educational interventions would be beneficial in improving community knowledge and offer perspectives that can foster cultural competency in healthcare.

Community-Based Mental Health Challenges and Implications: Examining Factors Influencing Distress and Help-Seeking Behaviors among Korean American Church Leaders and Members in Greater Los Angeles.

There is limited research on the factors that impact mental distress among Korean American (KA) church leaders even though their unique social situation can create many barriers to seeking mental health assistance. This study compared factors impacting mental distress and help-seeking behaviors between KA church leaders (CLs) and church members (CMs) in the greater Los Angeles area. The respondents (N = 243) were mostly female, married, educated, first-generation immigrants with a mean age of 47.9 years (SD = 19.7). The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist 10 was used to measure anxiety and depression. Hierarchal linear regressions showed that health status exerted the strongest effect on both anxiety and depression among CLs and CMs. Beyond health status, education (only for depression), informal resource use, and resiliency impacted mental distress scores for CLs. Only resiliency and religious coping predicted depression scores among CMs. To effectively reach this population, community-based organizations and behavioral health specialists should consider collaborating with churches to promote and provide essential mental health support. Our findings also highlight that the needs of church leaders (CLs) and church members (CMs) differ, which should guide the development of culturally tailored interventions that build on the resilience of both groups.

Barriers and facilitators of help-seeking for eating, weight, and shape concerns among college students

Objective: Prevalence of disordered eating among college students is concerning, but professional help-seeking rates are low. This study examined barriers and facilitators of help-seeking for eating, weight, and shape concerns in this population. Participants: A non-clinical sample of undergraduates (N = 134; 64.7% females; 63.9% White; 61.7% freshman) were recruited from a research pool. Methods: Participants reported on help-seeking barriers, facilitators, intentions, and behaviors, as well as disordered eating, anxiety, and depression. Results: Commonly endorsed facilitators of help-seeking for disordered eating included desire to get better and other mental health issues. Commonly endorsed barriers highlighted themes of self-reliance. Recent and lifetime help-seeking behaviors suggested preferences for informal sources of help. Greater disordered eating predicted more endorsed facilitators of help-seeking, whereas greater depression predicted more endorsed barriers. Conclusion: Findings—highlighting self-reliance and preferences for informal sources of help—can facilitate efforts to better serve students who may be experiencing disordered eating.

Formal help-seeking in intimate partner violence among Spanish-born and immigrant women in Spain: A focus group study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem. In Spain, although the prevalence of IPV is greater in immigrant women than in Spanish-born women, immigrant women seem to access services to a lesser extent. This study aimed to explore and compare perceptions of barriers to and strategies for seeking formal help among Spanish-born and immigrant women IPV survivors. A qualitative study was conducted based on three focus groups with women of Spanish (n = 9), Romanian (n = 4), and Latin American (n = 4) origin. The thematic analysis was supported by Atlas.ti. Three categories and 12 subcategories were identified: general characteristics of help-seeking behavior (e.g., children as the main motivating factor), barriers (e.g., immigrant status, fear of the perpetrator), and strategies for accessing services (e.g., increasing education). Differences in help-seeking behavior were found between groups. Relevant information for professionals to improve women's access to IPV support services is provided.

Exploring Depression: Community Perceptions and Social Influences in Southeast, Nigeria

Despite increasing global awareness of mental health issues, understanding the perception and influences of depression remains limited within specific cultural contexts such as Southeast Nigeria. This study investigates how residents define and perceive depression, exploring socio-cultural, demographic, and religious factors that shape these perceptions. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty participants (10 males and 10 females) from Anaocha and Idemili South Local Government Areas in Anambra State. Thematic analysis revealed that depression is perceived as a profound emotional and psychological burden, characterized by sadness, hopelessness, and isolation. Influential socio-cultural factors included beliefs in supernatural forces, traditional healing practices, gender norms, educational levels, and religious/spiritual practices. Stigma emerged as a significant barrier to help-seeking, with cultural expectations of resilience and reliance on religious coping mechanisms complicating the mental health landscape. The study proposes resilience-based interventions to enhance help-seeking behavior and support individuals with internalized stigma. These interventions by professional service providers such as social workers will increase mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and promote community resilience. Future research could also prioritize comparative studies across different regions to examine regional variations in depression perceptions and inform tailored interventions in social service delivery that effectively address local socio-cultural contexts, thereby advancing social research.

Mental Health Care Support in Rural India

More than 150 million people in India need mental health care but few have access to affordable care, especially in rural areas. To determine whether a multifaceted intervention involving a digital health care model along with a community-based antistigma campaign leads to reduced depression risk and lower mental health-related stigma among adults residing in rural India. This parallel, cluster randomized, usual care-controlled trial was conducted from September 2020 to December 2021 with blinded follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months at 44 rural primary health centers across 3 districts in Haryana and Andhra Pradesh states in India. Adults aged 18 years and older at high risk of depression or self-harm defined by either a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item (PHQ-9) score of 10 or greater, a Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7) score of 10 or greater, or a score of 2 or greater on the self-harm/suicide risk question on the PHQ-9. A second cohort of adults not at high risk were selected randomly from the remaining screened population. Data were cleaned and analyzed from April 2022 to February 2023. The 12-month intervention included a community-based antistigma campaign involving all participants and a digital mental health intervention involving only participants at high risk. Primary health care workers were trained to identify and manage participants at high risk using the Mental Health Gap Action Programme guidelines from the World Health Organization. The 2 coprimary outcomes assessed at 12 months were mean PHQ-9 scores in the high-risk cohort and mean behavior scores in the combined high-risk and non-high-risk cohorts using the Mental Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior scale. Altogether, 9928 participants were recruited (3365 at high risk and 6563 not at high risk; 5638 [57%] female and 4290 [43%] male; mean [SD] age, 43 [16] years) with 9057 (91.2%) followed up at 12 months. Mean PHQ-9 scores at 12 months for the high-risk cohort were lower in the intervention vs control groups (2.77 vs 4.48; mean difference, -1.71; 95% CI, -2.53 to -0.89; P < .001). The remission rate in the high-risk cohort (PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores <5 and no risk of self-harm) was higher in the intervention vs control group (74.7% vs 50.6%; odds ratio [OR], 2.88; 95% CI, 1.53 to 5.42; P = .001). Across both cohorts, there was no difference in 12-month behavior scores in the intervention vs control group (17.39 vs 17.74; mean difference, -0.35; 95% CI, -1.11 to 0.41; P = .36). A multifaceted intervention was effective in reducing depression risk but did not improve intended help-seeking behaviors for mental illness. Clinical Trial Registry India: CTRI/2018/08/015355.

Attitudes towards depression and its treatment among white, hispanic, and multiracial adults

BackgroundDepression is present in all societies and affects members of all racial and ethnic groups. However, attitudes about depression differ across groups and have been shown to impact help-seeking behaviors, preferences for treatments, and compliance with treatments.MethodsTaking a cross-cultural approach, this project used a case vignette of depression to examine race/ethnic group differences in attitudes about depression and its treatment among young adults in the U.S.ResultsData analyses revealed significant racial/ethnic group differences in attitudes as well as the treatments/strategies participants reported they would use. Gender x race/ethnicity interactions revealed that White and Multiracial/ethnic men were more likely to believe the vignette character should find a partner to help with symptoms, while White and Multiracial/ethnic women did not endorse those strategies. Hispanic men and women did not show a gender difference in that strategy, but gender differences were observed in other strategies. In a rare comparison, majority-minority Multiracial/ethnic participants (i.e., White selected as one of their races/ethnicities) rated identified helpers and treatments similarly to White participants and significantly higher than multiple-minority Multiracial participants (i.e., White not selected as one of their races/ethnicities).ConclusionsFindings supported previous research that indicates different U.S. racial/ethnic group ideas of depression and its treatment are potentially linked with cultural values, and we suggest that investigating these more fine-grained group differences can help to inform treating professionals as well as public health messages.

Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences in a Sample of Largely Indigenous Children.

The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and evaluate a culturally grounded, family-based program to prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among low-income and Indigenous children aged 10 to 14. The Tiwahe Wicagwicayapi program (TWP) is a 7-session program that teaches skills to prevent ACEs and is rooted in Lakota culture, language, and history. A total of 124 families (124 caregivers [96% Indigenous; 90% reported yearly income <$40 000] with 194 children aged 10 to 14 [93% Indigenous]) were randomly assigned to treatment (N = 66 families and 173 individuals) or waitlist (N = 58 families and 145 individuals) control groups. Caregivers and children completed a baseline, immediate posttest, and 6-month follow-up survey. Treatment effects were detected, indicating, compared with control participants, reductions in the incidence of child ACEs (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.64), bullying victimization (odds ratio = 0.53), depression (d = -0.20), and externalizing behaviors (d = -0.23) and increased parent-child communication (g = 0.27) and child help-seeking behaviors (d = 0.28). For caregivers, the effects indicated that the program prevented intimate partner violence victimization (IRR = 0.36) and perpetration (IRR = 0.45), harsh parenting (g = -0.35), and depression (d = -0.24) and increased emotion regulation (d = 0.37), social support (d = 0.33), and cultural connection (d = 0.34). The TWP holds great promise in preventing ACEs among low-income, Indigenous children, showing potential promise for widespread public health impact. Future rigorous research on the TWP is warranted.

The Impact of Parental Suicide Stigma on Youth Suicide Stigma in Mexico.

Suicide negatively impacts societies worldwide. A particular area of concern is the prevalence of suicide among Latinx youth, as research indicates that suicide behaviors among Latinx in the United States and youth in Latin America have increased drastically over the last decade. Reducing suicide stigma is a key factor in promoting youth help-seeking behaviors regarding suicidality. Previous research suggests that a relationship with a trusted adult may influence the likelihood of an adolescent contacting a suicide crisis line. Our study seeks to further the research of how parents can influence youth perceptions of suicide by studying the relationship between parent and child suicide stigma. Data were collected from parent-child dyads throughout Mexico. The Stigma of Suicide Scale Short Form was used to measure suicide stigma among adult and youth participants independently. Results suggest that parent suicide stigma was a significant predictor of youth suicide stigma, that male youth in our sample had higher suicide stigma than female youth, and that access to healthcare services was associated with lower suicide stigma. Results are discussed considering unique cultural factors in Mexico such as familismo. If future research reinforces the findings of this study, suicide stigma programs might be more effective if targeted at the entire family unit rather than just adolescents.

Efficacy of a transdiagnostic Internet prevention approach in adolescents (EMPATIA study): study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundMost mental disorders have their onset in adolescence. Preventive interventions during this period are important; however, help-seeking behavior is generally poor in this age group resulting in low treatment rates. Internet interventions are expected to be an effective, low-threshold, and scalable approach to overcome barriers to help-seeking, particularly for individuals experiencing subclinical symptoms. Internet-delivered indicated prevention seems promising as it targets individuals with minimal symptoms of mental disorders who might need care but are not help-seeking yet. Previous indicated prevention-approaches have mainly targeted specific risk-syndromes. However, this contradicts the increasing recognition of emerging psychopathology as a complex system characterized by co-occurrence and rapid shifts of subclinical symptoms cutting across diagnostic categories. Therefore, this study will investigate the efficacy, mediators, moderators, and core symptomatic changes of a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered indicated prevention program (EMPATIA program) for adolescents.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted in a general population sample (planned n = 152) of adolescents aged 12–18 years with subclinical symptoms but without any current or past mental disorder. Participants will be randomly assigned to the EMPATIA program or a care as usual (CAU) control condition. The 8-week guided EMPATIA program encompasses 8 modules targeting the following transdiagnostic mechanisms: repetitive negative thinking, self-perfectionism, emotion regulation, intolerance of uncertainty, rejection sensitivity, and behavioral avoidance. Participants will be asked to answer online self-report questionnaires at baseline, after 8 weeks, and at 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up. Diagnostic telephone interviews will be conducted at baseline and at 12-month follow-up. Additionally, intervention-specific constructs (motivation, alliance, negative effects, satisfaction, adherence) will be assessed during and after the EMPATIA program. The level of self-reported general psychopathology post-intervention is the primary outcome.DiscussionResults will be discussed considering the potential of Internet interventions as a scalable, low-threshold option for indicated prevention in adolescents experiencing subclinical symptoms. The EMPATIA program introduces a novel Internet prevention program targeting six transdiagnostic mechanisms associated with various mental health outcomes. Thereby, this trial pursues a very timely and important topic because it may contribute to narrow the current care gap for adolescents, to prevent mental health problems and related negative consequences, and to promote mental health in the long-term.Trial registrationThe trial was approved by Swissmedic (Registration Number: 10001035, 08/22/2022) and the Ethics Committee of Bern (Registration Number: 2022-D0036, 08/22/2022). The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05934019 on 07–03-2023.

Non-traditional mental health clinical placements: An effective means for reducing self-stigma in pre-registration nursing students.

Pre-registration nursing students report high rates of stigma, leading to low help-seeking attitudes when seeking help for mental health issues. Traditional mental health clinical placements can improve stigma related to attitudes and social distance for pre-registration nursing students. There are nil recorded clinical placement interventions that have decreased self-stigma for pre-registration nursing students, with this study highlighting a clinical placement model that is effective in significantly decreasing self-stigma. The knowledge around the mental health struggles experienced by pre-registration nursing students, and the effect of a non-traditional mental health placement in decreasing self-stigmatizing attitudes in this population, is important for the future of retaining mental health nurses. There is an opportunity to use the clinical placement model presented, and design interventions for nursing students that aims to promote help-seeking behaviours. INTRODUCTION: Traditional mental health clinical placements can improve pre-registration nurse stigma toward mental illness, particularly in measures of attitudes and social distance. However, they have not yet been shown to improve self-stigma, which affects mental health disclosure and help-seeking behaviour. The present study investigates nursing students' stigma following a non-traditional mental health placement immersed alongside people living with mental illness. Three stigma subtypes were measured using the Opening Minds Scale for Healthcare Providers: Attitudes, Social Distance, and Disclosure/Help-seeking. Pre-registration nurses (N = 848) completed the instrument pre- and post-placement. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) identified a large effect of placement on stigma (p < .001, = .101). Post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed all three types of stigma decreased after the non-traditional placement (Attitudes: p < .001, = 0.09, Social Distance: p < .001, = 0.07, Disclosure/Help-seeking: p < .001, = 0.04). These findings emphasize that attending a non-traditional mental health clinical placement can effectively reduce multiple types of nursing student stigma. Further research in this area could focus on which attributes of the clinical placement setting foster positive help-seeking. These results are noteworthy for stigma surrounding disclosure/help-seeking, as traditional (i.e. hospital-based) mental-health clinical placements have been found ineffective in reducing nursing student stigma in this domain. Further research into the effectiveness of non-traditional clinical placements in reducing nursing students' stigma regarding mental health disclosure and help-seeking, is required.

Attitude and help-seeking behavior towards suicide among medical students in Jammu and Kashmir

IntroductionThe ongoing training process and medical curriculum of the medical profession are crucial for equipping them with necessary knowledge and skills, but it can also be challenging to balance the demands of a busy learning schedule, making this period stressful. This study has been aimed to determining the attitude towards suicide and their help-seeking behavior among medical undergraduates in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).MethodologyAcross medical colleges of the J&K region, an online survey was conducted among 275 medical undergraduates using Attitude Towards Suicide Scale-20 and General Help-Seeking Behavior Questionnaire. An independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were carried out for statistical analysis in SPSS 25.0.ResultThe mean age of the participants was 22.05 years, including 116 male and 159 female students. Psychiatry posting was attended by 31.3% (N = 86) students. Students showed greater acceptability over suicide is preventable, and it is a cry for help. For personal and emotional problems, subjects preferred seeking help from informal sources, while for suicidal ideations, they exhibited inclination towards formal sources.ConclusionFindings of the result should be utilized in preventing negative mental health consequences and in planning assistance to them. Medical students within the institution should receive counselling services from the psychiatry department in a non-stigmatizing manner.

Religion and mental health: an Eastern Mediterranean region perspective.

In the last decade, spirituality gained increasing recognition, with an individualized approach to the significance of symptoms and the purpose of treatment. Many psychiatrists started adopting the term "biopsychosocial-spiritual" management. Modern psychological therapies have drawn from the principles of ancient Eastern traditions. However, the spiritual beliefs within Islam and their impact on mental well-being have yet to be studied sufficiently. The Eastern Mediterranean region is largely Muslim and shares similar cultural beliefs. This paper explores some of these beliefs and their impact on perceptions of mental health and help-seeking behavior. The paper will focus primarily on the religious ideologies, the concepts of punishment and reward from Allah (God) in the context of the high stigma associated with mental illness in the region, and the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions toward people with mental illness. We will explore cultural beliefs in possession, evil eye, and black magic and how they influence treatment adherence. Traditional and faith healers remain very popular in this part of the world and are often the first line of treatment for people presenting with mental illness. Suicide and self-harming are particularly sensitive areas due to their religious implications in life and death, as well as the afterlife. Despite the global interest in the Eastern Mediterranean region, there still is a shortage of research on the intercultural aspects of this region, especially regarding mental health assessments. In this regard, we will explore some published literature from Qatar and draw comparisons with regional findings.

A "Self-Milieux" perspective on help-seeking: examining the impact of a person's sociocultural background on help-seeking in people with untreated depressive symptoms.

Mental illness is a global concern and the leading cause of years lived with disability. Research on help-seeking behaviour has focused on individual factors, but there is still much unexplained variance. Suggesting complex interactions between determinants of human behaviour a new framework called Self-Milieux is proposed to represent a person's sociocultural background. The article introduces a statistical approach to determine Self-Milieux and exemplarily examines its predictive validity for health-related research. Self-Milieux are determined through a two-stage clustering method based on the determinants socioeconomic status and self-construal profile. Descriptive analyses are used to compare Self-Milieux characteristics. Hierarchical binary logistic regression models test the association between Self-Milieux and help-seeking behaviour, while controlling for socioeconomic status as an established predictor. The sample size was N = 1535 (Mage = 43.17 and 64.89% female participants). Average depression severity was M = 12.22, indicating mild to moderate symptoms. Six Self-Milieux were determined and named. Participants from privileged (aOR = 0.38) and self-sufficient (aOR = 0.37) milieux were less likely to seek help from a general practitioner than those from the entitled milieu. Participants from privileged (aOR = 0.30), collaborators (aOR = 0.50), disadvantaged (aOR = 0.33), and self-sufficient (aOR = 0.21) milieux were less likely to seek help from family members than those from the entitled and family-bound milieux. The study's strengths and limitations, as well as the cluster methodology, are discussed. The comparative results for the six Self-Milieux are interpreted based on current research. For example, participants from some milieux follow a help-seeking process proposed in previous research, while participants from other milieux seem to show a different process, one that ends in informal help-seeking.

Help-Seeking from Victim Services, Personal Networks, and Reporting to Police: Stalking Victim Behaviors from the 2019 NCVS Supplemental Victimization Survey.

Understanding the predictors of stalking victimization, help-seeking behaviors of stalking victims, and their reporting to police can help law enforcement and advocates improve systems and ensure they are accessible and useful to victims. Existing stalking research focuses heavily on campus-based stalking, non-nationally representative populations, and/or dated data collection methods, such as the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey, Supplemental Victimization Survey (NCVS-SVS), an instrument that has been updated according to current stalking definitions. This study employs the latest 2019 NCVS-SVS to analyze its new stalking screening questions and additional variables. We identified predictors of (a) stalking victimization, (b) help-seeking from victim-serving agencies, (c) help-seeking from personal networks, and (d) reporting to police. Predictors of stalking victimization included younger age, identifying as female, identifying as not heterosexual, household incomes below $50,000, and any college attendance. Victims who knew their offenders (intimate or non-intimate) were more likely than victims of stranger stalking to seek help from victim-serving agencies and personal networks. Younger victims were more likely to seek help from personal networks. None of the variables we examined predicted reporting to police. This study shows the characteristics of stalking victims have stayed consistent over time but highlights an ongoing need for resources for victims of stranger stalking, who may not know about or be able to access stalking services that are offered by intimate partner violence agencies. Future research around stalking victim characteristics should focus on populations that are newly included in national stalking data, such as those who identify as transgender and sexual identity minorities.