Seeking Psychological Help Research Articles

An analysis of the relationship between attitudes towards seeking psychological help and problem solving among university students

This study is about the relationship between attitudes towards seeking pscychological help and problem solving. The sample of this study was composed from 386 university students (246 female, 140 male). The data were obtained by “Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale developed by Türküm (1997) and “Problem Solving Scale” developed by Heppner(1994). As a result of the research it has been seen that there is a meaningful relationship between attitudes towards seeking psychological help and problem solving.

Psychological Help-Seeking in Homeless Adolescents

Homeless young people in the UK are a vulnerable group: their levels of psychological problems, physical ill health and violent victimisation exceed those of their housed counterparts. This qualitative study aimed to examine homeless young people's views about seeking psychological help for their problems. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 16 homeless young people at an emergency hostel. A thematic analysis and an analysis of the participants' narratives were undertaken. A sense of hurt and anger at the perceived betrayal by their families and society made many participants reluctant to seek help and to trust help offered by others, and accordingly they placed a high value on self-sufficiency. Many said that they would, however, seek help from people whom they perceived to be genuine, caring, trustworthy, empathic and capable of containing their distress. Mental health professionals providing clinical services for this underserved population need to be aware of the importance of rejection and abandonment issues, along with the consequent hurt, anger and mistrust.

Beliefs About Psychological Services (BAPS): development and psychometric properties

A scale to measure attitudes towards seeking psychological help was developed (Beliefs About Psychological Services [BAPS]) and evaluated. This scale was based on items gathered from students, colleagues, and the authors when asked about common positive and negative attitudes toward psychologists and their services. Items were also based on the Fischer and Turner (1970) Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Services (ATSPPH) measure. Three studies are reported describing the construction and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the BAPS. The BAPS is an 18-item measure consisting of three subscales: Intent, Stigma Tolerance, and Expertness. Support was found for the reliability and validity of the measure.

Attitudes towards psychological treatment among older Australians

Reasons behind older adults' under-utilisation of mental health services are complex. Barriers to access to mental health services for this group include service access and availability, attitudes of medical and mental health professionals, and attitudes of older people themselves. This questionnaire-based study sought to investigate variables that may influence attitudes towards psychological help seeking among a late mid-age–young-old Australian sample of 159 community-dwelling adults. The results suggest that attitudes towards seeking psychological help in this population were relatively positive. In addition, >50% of participants in the sample indicated that they had sought treatment for emotional or psychological difficulties in the past, with the greatest proportion of those who sought help noting that it was for “family problems” (56%). The findings suggest that negative attitudes to help seeking in this age group may not be as pervasive as previously assumed, and that help-seeking behaviours may be high among those with positive attitudes towards help seeking.

Psychosocial characteristics of women and men attending infertility counselling

Little is known about the psychosocial characteristics of infertile couples seeking psychological help. This study describes couples attending infertility counselling. Questionnaires pertaining to socio-demographic factors, motives for wanting a child, lay aetiology of their infertility, dimensions of life and partnership satisfaction, and a complaints list were completed by 974 women and 906 men. Of those who indicated an openness to counselling, almost half actually attended infertility counselling, and two groups, 'no counselling' (358 women and 292 male partners) and 'taking up counselling' (275 women and 243 male partners), were therefore compared. More couples with stressful life events were found in the counselling group. For women taking up counselling, psychological distress, in the form of suffering from childlessness and depression as well as subjective excessive demand (as a potential cause for infertility), was higher in comparison to women not counselled. The higher distress for men in the counselling group was indicated by relative dissatisfaction with partnership and sexuality and by accentuating the women's depression. Infertile couples seeking psychological help are characterized by high levels of psychological distress, primarily in women. The women's distress seems to be more important for attending infertility counselling than that of the men.

The personal service gap: Factors affecting adolescents' willingness to seek help

The study explores adolescents' attitudes toward seeking help for emotional problems. The personal service gap is examined by asking adolescents about their willingness to refer themselves and others to formal (psychologists) and informal (friends) help sources, using a within-subjects design. The study included 662 Israeli adolescents in the 10th and 12th grades. The results indicate that adolescents refer peers more than themselves to a psychologist and to a friend. They are also more willing to refer themselves and peers to a friend rather than to a psychologist. Barriers to seeking psychological help are explored and significant correlations between perceptions of psychological benefit, problem severity and barriers to help seeking are described. Recommendations for increasing adolescents' awareness and use of help sources are suggested.

Factors affecting self-referral to counselling services in the workplace: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT The benefits of psychological support in the workplace (also known as workplace counselling) are well documented. Most large organisations in the UK have staff counselling schemes. However, it is unclear what, if any, factors affect employee decisions to use such schemes. This study has used a qualitative methodology to explore the reasons that make employees use workplace counselling. Eleven employees of a university in the north of England who had used the staff counselling service of their employer took part in the study. The employer had two schemes available: an internal staff counselling service and an external Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). A semi-structured interview was used with each participant and grounded theory techniques were used to analyse the interviews. The analysis resulted in the construction of a model of psychological help-seeking in the workplace. The main findings indicate that most participants were motivated to use their employer's counselling service by their prior positive experiences of similar or other type of mental health services. Other encouraging factors were: recommendation of service by others, a supportive environment and trust in the confidential ethos of the service. Conversely, negative preconceptions of psychological help-seeking and a perception of the employing environment as unsafe were shown to have been discouraging factors. The study concludes with suggestions for practice and for further research.

Can the theory of planned behavior help explain men's psychological help-seeking? Evidence for a mediation effect and clinical implications.

Prior findings show that men as a group seek psychological help at relatively low rates. The current study sought to provide preliminary evidence that Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior can integrate prior research findings and help explain men's psychological help-seeking by testing a mediat

Big boys don’t cry: An investigation of stoicism and its mental health outcomes

Two mail-out survey studies were conducted to investigate the stoicism construct, as operationalised in the Liverpool stoicism scale (LSS). In Study 1, N = 467 participants (57.9% female) completed the LSS and measures of wellbeing, psychological distress and attitudes to seeking psychological help. All participants had previously completed a measure of the five factor model of personality (FFM). The aim of Study 2 ( N = 567, 57.5% female) was to replicate the psychometric analyses of the LSS, and permit calculation of test–retest reliability amongst a subsample ( n = 278) who also participated in Study 1. The LSS was found to have adequate internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .83), and adequate test–retest reliability ( r = .82, p < .001). As expected, LSS scores were significantly higher for males ( M = 59.5, SD = 7.8) than females ( M = 51.1, SD = 9.0, t(411) = 10.20, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.00). Structural equation modeling demonstrated the expected association between stoicism and gender (factor loading = −.38), openness to experience (factor loading = −.38), and age (factor loading = .11). Stoicism was found unrelated to measures of distress, and was negatively associated with quality of life ( r = −.13, p < .01). Moreover, the relationship between stoicism and lower quality of life was found to be mediated by negative attitudes to seeking psychological help. It is concluded that the LSS is a reliable measure of a unidimensional stoicism construct, which has intelligible relationships with the FFM and potential explanatory power in relation to men’s mental health.

Psychological distress and help-seeking among Taiwanese college students: role of gender and student status

ABSTRACT This study investigated the relationship between psychological distress and attitudes toward seeking professional help and whether the relationship was moderated by gender and student status (traditional vs. non-traditional) among Chinese college students in Taiwan. 961 first-year university students completed standardised measures of depression, anxiety, attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, and a demographic questionnaire. Results from the multiple regression analysis found that while higher levels of depression were adversely correlated with help-seeking attitudes, gender was positively correlated with help-seeking attitudes. Chinese female students held more favourable attitudes toward seeking psychological help than their male counterparts. Additionally, gender interacted with depression and anxiety in affecting attitudes toward help-seeking. These results were discussed within the Chinese cultural context and recommendations were given for student outreach programme aimed at increasing utilisation of mental health services on campus.

The Development of a Multidimensional Attitude Toward Mental Health Scale

In light of older adults' need for mental health services, the present study presents preliminary data gathered from two cohorts of younger and older adults for the purpose of exploring the utility of a multidimensional measure of attitudes toward mental health for older persons. Intercorrelations among the attitude scales suggest that they measure distinct aspects of mental health attitudes, and in varying degrees, these scales intercorrelate with the Fischer and Turner (1970) Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional and Psychological Help scale. Dimensionalized scores also differentially relate to mental health service use across samples. In light of this measure's exploratory nature, future research exploring its factor structure, construct validity, and predictive validity is warranted.

Association Between Stress at Work and Primary Headache Among Nursing Staff in Taiwan

Stress, one of the most commonly identified triggers for primary headache in the workplace, usually leads to inefficient work during attacks. Stress-related primary headaches in the nursing staff of hospitals have received little attention. To realize the association between stress and headache, and the means of coping with this kind of headache. A cross-sectional, hospital-based study using a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 900 nursing staffers in a tertiary medical center in southern Taiwan. Thirty-two items, including basic information, headache- and stress-related questions, work satisfaction, and coping strategies were measured. Headache sufferers with either migraine or episodic tension headache (attacks <15 days per month) based on International Headache Society (IHS) criteria were enrolled for analysis. The Student's t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Three hundred eighty-six out of 779 responders (49.6%) had experienced primary headaches in the previous year, and 374 (48.1%) had had episodic-type headaches (<15 days/month). A careful neurological interview of the latter group revealed that 222 (28.5%) had migraine, 104 (13.4%) had tension headache, 37 (4.8%) had mixed migraine and tension headache, and 11 (1.4%) had other causes of headache. There were no demographic differences between the sufferers and nonsufferers, although a statistically significant difference was noted in self-reported sources of stress (individual P values ranged from .021 to < .001). Headache sufferers had more stress at work than non-headache sufferers (P < .001). The youngest and least experienced of the nursing staff, the unmarried, and those with a lower level of education had a higher level of stress. The methods used to deal with headaches were sleep, taking medicine, taking a rest, visiting the doctor, and seeking psychological help. Nurses commonly used acetaminophen (panadol--500 mg) to relieve their pain. These results indicate that stress at work is associated with primary headaches among nursing staff, and that nurses rarely seek help in the beginning. Therefore, nursing staff education aimed at ameliorating the stress and coping with the headaches, thus allowing the nurses to provide better patient care, may be warranted.

Measuring the self-stigma associated with seeking psychological help.

Self-stigma is an important factor in people's decisions not to engage in therapy. To measure this construct, the authors developed the 10-item Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale. In Study 1 (n = 583), the SSOSH had a unidimensional factor structure and good reliability (.91) among participants. Study 2 (n = 470) confirmed the factor structure. Studies 2, 3 (n = 546), and 4 (n = 217) cross-validated the reliability (.86 to .90; test-retest, .72) and showed evidence of validity (construct, criterion, and predictive) across the study samples. The SSOSH uniquely predicted attitudes toward and intent to seek psychological help. Finally, in Study 5 (n = 655) the SSOSH differentiated those who sought psychological services from those who did not across a 2-month period.

Africentric Cultural Values, Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes, and Self-Concealment in African American College Students

This study investigated the relationships among Africentric cultural values (i.e., the extent to which an individual adheres to a worldview emphasizing communalism, unity, harmony, spirituality, and authenticity), favorable psychological help-seeking attitudes, perceived counseling stigma, and selfconcealment (i.e., the tendency to withhold personal, sensitive information that is perceived as negative or upsetting) in a sample of African American college students. The authors found that for both African American women and men, higher degrees of Africentric cultural values were associated with greater perceived stigma about counseling and greater self-concealment. In addition, findings indicated that neither favorable psychological help-seeking attitudes nor perceived counseling stigma significantly mediated the relationship between Africentric cultural values and self-concealment behavior. Implication of the findings and future research directions are discussed.

Barriers to Helpseeking Among New Zealand Prison Inmates

Treatment avoidance or help-negation has been described in clinical and non-clinical samples, in response to real or imagined suicidal scenarios (Carlton & Deane, 2000; Rudd, Joiner & Rajab, 1995). The aims of the present study were to describe the process of seeking psychological help in prison based on inmate interviews and to assess the impact of several psychological and systemic factors on the intention to seek help in prison. Male prison inmates (N = 52) were less likely to seek help for suicidal feelings than for a general personal-emotional problem. Thoughts about death and suicide were associated with help-negation for prison inmates. Additionally, participants identified negative reactions from staff and other inmates, lack of trust in prison psychologists, and aversive prison procedures for managing suicidal inmates as barriers to the expression of suicidal concerns. Suggestions are made to improve appropriate professional psychological helpseeking by prison inmates. Future helpseeking research in prison populations should incorporate longitudinal designs (e.g., the Theory of Planned Behavior, Ajzen, 1991) to clarify the attitude-behavior

Who Seeks Help? Examining the Differences in Attitude of Turkish University Students toward Seeking Psychological Help by Gender, Gender Roles, and Help-Seeking Experiences

The present study investigated the differences in Turkish university students' attitudes toward seeking psychological help and the effects of gender and gender roles on their help-seeking experiences. The Bem Sex Roles Inventory and The Scale of Attitudes toward Seeking Psychological Help—Shortened were administered to 398 undergraduate students. The results found male and female students differed in their attitudes toward help-seeking. However, no significant interaction was found for students' gender roles and their attitude scores toward help-seeking. The findings and future research needs are discussed.

Mental health outcomes of adjudicated males and females: the aftermath of juvenile delinquency and problem behaviour

Empirical evidence indicates that the rates of mental health problems and disorders are relatively high among adjudicated youths, especially females, yet few longitudinal studies have focused on gender differences regarding their mental health outcomes as adults. The present study was designed to assess the prevalence rates of self-reported suicide attempts and psychological help-seeking in young adults adjudicated for antisocial behaviours in adolescence. This study also assessed gender differences in the prevalence rates of mental health problems and disorders reported by participants. Structured interviews assessing personal and social adaptation were conducted on three occasions with 292 adjudicated male and 113 female youths (mean age 15 years on the first occasion). Data from the third testing wave (mean age 23.51 at T3) provide information on their mental health outcomes in adulthood. Results indicate that in individuals with a history of juvenile delinquency and/or problem behaviour over 10% of the males and 20% of the females reported suicide attempts, and one-fifth and one-third respectively reported psychological consultation. Similar and lower proportions reported psychiatric hospitalization and/or drug addiction programme/therapy at the beginning of adulthood. The present study suggests that these youths may need more mental health directed interventions in their assessment rehabilitation programmes.

Developing a Scale of Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help: Validity and Reliability Analyses

The present study was conducted to develop the scale for Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help (ASPH). Four dimensions of ASPH were determined by using factor analysis, which was conducted with 356 participants. The dimensions were named as confidence for getting psychological help; beliefs about the functions of psychological help; endurance against labelling, and self-disclosure. Reliability coefficient was found as satisfactory in the scale (.88) and subscales (.76, .77, .76, and .68). Test-retest reliability was .99. Validity of the scale was examined by using discriminant validity analysis and it was observed as sufficient. The results of the study showed that ASPH has an identifiable factor structure and it is a reliable and valid scale.

Stigma and help seeking related to depression: a study of nursing students.

The stigmatization of people with mental illnesses and its effect on help-seeking behaviors have been identified by the Surgeon General and the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health as significant issues on the nation's health care agenda. Negative perceptions regarding depression and its treatment contribute to the 30,000 suicides committed annually in the United States. Nurses have the potential to exert tremendous influence toward overcoming this problem, contingent on their attitudes toward depression and its treatment. As nurses and future nurses, students enrolled in both a basic and degree-completion baccalaureate program comprised a sample that represented the influence of the educational process. This descriptive, correlational study measured attitudes toward an individual with depression, described in a vignette, and personal help-seeking intention, and examined the effects of personal variables on help-seeking intention. Students who believed depression was not under personal control were more likely to endorse help seeking for themselves. Individuals who were women, older, upperclassmen, and Catholic reported greater acceptance of seeking psychological help. The role of the psychiatric-mental health nursing class and rotation were identified as improving stigmatizing attitudes and increasing help-seeking intention.

Depressive Symptoms and Attitudes Toward Counseling as Predictors of Biracial College Women's Psychological Help-Seeking Behavior

This study explored the extent to which biracial college women's attitudes toward counseling and reported depressive symptoms would predict their psychological help-seeking behavior. Results of a logistic regression analysis revealed that biracial college women with more favorable attitudes toward counseling were more likely to seek professional psychological help. In addition, biracial women with higher depression scores were more likely to seek professional mental health treatment. Implications of the findings for counseling center personnel are discussed.