Self-stigma Of Seeking Help Research Articles

Validating the Persian Version of the Self-stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) Scale

Background: Stigma presents significant barriers to mental health treatment, influencing treatment decisions and recovery outcomes. Standardized rating scales play a crucial role in assessing Self-stigma, which is essential for intervention efforts aimed at improving mental health outcomes globally. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the internal consistency, face validity, content validity, and factor structure of the Persian version of the Self-stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale in a group of people with mental health disorders referred to the outpatient clinics of Roozbeh Psychiatry Hospital and several private clinics in Tehran, Iran. Methods: First, a bilingual psychiatrist translated the scale into Persian. Content and face validity were then evaluated by six psychiatrists. A pilot test was conducted with ten patients to assess comprehensibility. A back translation into English was performed by a non-professional, and the result was compared to the original version by a bilingual psychiatrist. The final Persian version of the questionnaire was administered to 347 patients with various mental health disorders, recruited from Roozbeh Hospital, a referral psychiatry hospital, and several private clinics in Tehran. Demographic characteristics were collected via questionnaires, and the type of disorder was determined based on the specialist's evaluation. This process was conducted from October 2023 to May 2024. The Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) were calculated, and internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald's Omega tests. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed to explore and understand the data structure. Results: The Persian version demonstrated reasonable comprehensibility and translation equivalence, ensuring both semantic and content equivalence. The SSOSH achieved a CVI > 0.8 and CVR > 0.96. All items obtained an acceptable score (greater than 1.5) for face validity. The internal consistency of the total score was good (α = 0.733, ω = 0.818). The EFA revealed that the Persian version had three factors accounting for 57% of the total variance, and the CFA suggested this model fits the data reasonably well, though there is room for improvement. Conclusions: The Persian SSOSH scale exhibits good internal consistency and acceptable face and content validity for use in Persian-speaking patients with mental health disorders. While the three-factor structure identified by the EFA requires further investigation, the application of this tool among other Iranians warrants additional evaluation.

Mental Health Literacy Reduces the Impact of Internalized Stigma on Older Adults' Attitudes and Intentions to Seek Mental Health Services

ABSTRACT Objectives Older adults are the least likely age group to seek mental health services, and internalized stigma is an important reason why. We sought to further our understanding of which older adults are particularly likely to be affected by internalized stigma, and why, by investigating mental health literacy (MHL) as a moderator within the internalized stigma model of help-seeking. Methods We utilized a conditional process analysis of cross-sectional, secondary data from 350 distressed older adults. Participants completed an online survey consisting of measures of distress, perceived control, experiential avoidance, MHL, public and self-stigma of seeking help, help-seeking attitudes, and conditional help-seeking intentions. Results MHL moderated the internalized stigma model; distressed older adults with lower MHL were more likely to have public stigma internalized as self-stigma, which then reduced their intentions to seek help. More specifically, low MHL magnified the negative effect of self-stigma on attitudes and intentions. Conclusions These results increase our understanding of which older adults are less likely to seek mental health services: distressed older adults with poor MHL and high self-stigma. Clinical Implications MHL is a malleable construct that can be targeted by interventions designed to increase help-seeking among distressed older adults in need of professional help.

Masculine Threat and Stigma: Barriers to Help-Seeking for Gay and Bisexual Men Survivors

Sexual assault and abuse have detrimental impacts on gay and bisexual (GB) men’s mental health. Nevertheless, many GB men survivors avoid seeking services due to concerns about non-affirming treatment from mental-health professionals and negative perceptions of masculinity if one seeks help for sexual trauma. This study investigated the impact of anticipated sexual assault stigma from mental-health professionals and masculine threat (the degree to which not feeling masculine lowers self-esteem) on help-seeking self-stigma among GB men survivors (N = 99). Both anticipated stigma and masculine threat associated with greater self-stigma of seeking help. When examining gay and bisexual men separately, anticipated stigma and masculine threat were significant for bisexual men, whereas anticipated stigma was the only significant variable for gay men. Implications discuss increasing attention toward the role of masculinity and anticipated stigma in help-seeking for sexual-minority men survivors and examining the unique experiences of these two populations rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

The Mediating Role of Self-stigma of Seeking Help in the Relationship between Perceived Occupational Prestige and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study on Medical Doctors

Based on social identity theory, this study aimed at evaluating the effect of perceived occupational prestige and self-stigma of seeking help on mental health issues (depression, stress, and anxiety) among medical doctors. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 374 medical doctors working in Vietnam with convenient sampling strategies. The study employed the 22-item version of the Perception of Occupational Status Survey (POSS), the Self-stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH), and the 21-item version of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results showed that perceived occupational prestige had a negative association with mental health issues among medical doctors. Furthermore, results suggested that the relationship between perceived occupational prestige and mental health was mediated by self-stigma of seeking help. Self-stigma of seeking help increased the risk of mental health issues. However, medical doctors perceived high occupational prestige, which weakened self-stigma of seeking help, and therefore, it indirectly reduces the risk of mental health issues among medical doctors. The results hence provide empirical support for social identity hypothesis. Based on the results, the study also provides some practical suggestions for therapists working with healthcare professionals in intervening mental health issues.

A sentiment and keyword analysis of college food pantry stigma among users and non-users

Food pantry stigma among college students has been documented as an issue that impacts the utili­zation of resources but has not been deeply investi­gated. The objective of this study was to explore sources of food pantry stigma to identify different strategies to encourage food pantry use, which has the potential to positively alter methods on cam­puses. This mixed-methods study was a branched (separate questions and responses from both food pantry users and nonusers), 51-item, online, Qualtrics survey that sampled randomly selected students from a rural university (n = 3,000) and recruited using flyers posted in food pantries on campus. Reported results include demographic characteristics, use of on-campus food pantries, a validated food insecurity questionnaire, food pantry self-stigma, and an adapted measure of self-stigma of seeking help, and affirming or nonaffirm­ing qualitative measures of food pantry stigma. Sentiment and keyword analyses were conducted by two researchers to analyze qualitative data to identify factors that influence food pantry stigma from food pantry users and nonusers. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Qual­itative data determined areas of stigma and aligned with the descriptive statistics on self-stigma and help-seeking measures. Among survey participants (n = 594), 35.7% of food-insecure students did not use food pantries. Users (M = 23.12, SD = 9.06) reported higher perceptions of food pantry stigma than nonusers (M = 15.79, SD = 3.85). Of the food pantry nonusers (n = 461), 322 identified the presence of stigma (69.85%). Sixty-six food pantry users (n = 97) identified the presence of stigma (68.04%). The keyword analysis highlighted poten­tial influences of food pantry stigma among all par­ticipants including power hierarchy, financial bur­den, embarrassment, and feeling superfluous. This study highlights influences of stigma and places an emphasis on changing current approaches in cam­pus food pantry implementation and dissemina­tion. Future studies could investigate the barriers and solutions to current messaging and implemen­tation of campus food pantries utilizing implemen­tation science experts and frameworks.

Which self-stigma of seeking help (SSOSH) version has adequate psychometric properties? An analysis of the SEM approach and network psychometrics in the Peruvian sample

Which self-stigma of seeking help (SSOSH) version has adequate psychometric properties? An analysis of the SEM approach and network psychometrics in the Peruvian sample

Mental Illness Beliefs, Stigma, and Help-seeking Behavior among Medical and Mental Health Professionals: A Cross-sectional Study in Mumbai

Abstract Background: Help-seeking behaviors are poor in medical professionals and understudied in mental health professions. Beliefs and perceived stigma influence such behavior. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess, compare, and find associations between these factors among medical and mental health professionals. Methods: This cross-sectional online questionnaire-based study was conducted among 150 medical and mental health professionals practicing in Mumbai using Treatment Seeking Behaviour Scale (TSB), Beliefs toward Mental Illness Scale (BTMI), Self-stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH), and perception of stigmatization by others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) Scales. Google Forms were sent to the consenting participants through social media platforms and WhatsApp. We had a 40% response rate from the participants. Results: Mean BTMI was 76.76 ± 27.40, which was poor, SSOSH (12.96 ± 4.81) was found to be low, but PSOSH (12.46 ± 5.22) was found to be high. Professional TSB (4.24 ± 0.76) was significantly higher than traditional TSB (2.8 ± 0.81). Mental health professionals had significantly lower scores of BTMI (P = 0.001), SSOSH (P = 0.050), PSOSH (P = 0.044), and traditional TSB (P = 0.002) as compared to medical professionals. Scores of BTMI, SSOSH, and PSOSH were positively correlated with traditional TSB and negatively correlated with professional TSB (P < 0.01). Conclusion: BTMIs are poor and the perception of stigmatization by others for seeking help is high among doctors. Mental health professionals fared significantly better on all their beliefs.

Assessing perceptions of stigmatization by others for seeking help in China: psychometric characteristics and measurement invariance across gender and therapy experience.

The stigma of social networks may be more noticeable in collectivist societies like China, but research in this area has largely been overlooked due to a lack of reliable measurement. To address this gap, this study tested the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) scale in the Chinese general population, and tested its invariance across gender and prior therapy experience. In a national online survey, 640 adults completed the PSOSH and conceptually related scales: Self-stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH), Stigma of Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (SSPPH, i.e., public stigma) and Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the original PSOSH. The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.84 and the 3-week test-retest reliability of was 0.77. The PSOSH showed moderate correlations with the three conceptually related scales, supporting its concurrent validity. Importantly, the PSOSH significantly predicted self-stigma scores, even when considering demographic variables and public stigma, supporting its incremental validity. The scale also demonstrated scalar invariance across gender and across subgroups who had vs. did not have previous therapy experience, supporting comparisons of latent means across these groups. The PSOSH is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing social network stigmatization of professional help-seeking in Chinese community samples.

Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Associated to Self-Stigma and Perceived Social Stigma.

Nursing students often experience stress due to their educational demands and developmental stage. This study focuses on nursing students to investigate the relationship between their attitudes toward seeking psychological help and their levels of perceived self-stigma and social stigma. This was a descriptive correlational study, in which 791 nursing students participated through convenience sampling between April and May 2022. Data were collected using the Attitude Towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale-R (ASPH-R), the Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH), and the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The article adheres to the STROBE checklist in its organization and presentation. Positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help were negatively correlated with self-stigma (r=-0.39, P<0.01) and social stigma perceptions (r=-0.17, P<0.01), while negative attitudes were positively correlated with self-stigma (r=0.50, P<0.01) and social stigma (r=0.47, P<0.01). Variables of sex, age, self-stigma, and social stigma significantly contributed to explaining attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Social stigma and particularly self-stigma significantly influence nursing students' attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Therefore, it is recommended that authorities develop psychoeducational interventions aimed at enhancing nursing students' mental health awareness and reducing self-stigma.

Intention of Psychological Counseling, Attitude Toward Seeking Psychological Help, and Shame Among Vocational College Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

The aim of this study was to explore the psychological counseling intention of college students, the attitude of seeking psychological help, and the related factors of shame so as to promote the psychological health of college students. In 4 comprehensive colleges with sound psychological counseling centers, students of different grades were selected and divided into an active help-seeking group (n = 216) and a help-refusal group (n = 270). Students' shame behaviors were evaluated using the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale and Self-Stigma Scale (SSS). The intention of psychological counseling was measured by the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. The Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services was used to evaluate the psychological status. Data from the above scales were compared through the t-test. Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore the impact of shame on the intention of psychological counseling. The study found that the active help-seeking group scored lower on SSOSH scale compared to those in the help-refusal group (total score: 41.2 ± 9.1 vs. 37.9 ± 8.7, P = .0017). Meanwhile, the help-refusal group had higher scores on the shame dimension of the SSS (16.2 ± 3.9 vs. 5.3 ± 1.1, P = .00085). After adjusting for age, gender, and other variables, multiple linear regression analysis indicated a negative correlation between shame and intention of psychological help and counseling, revealing a significant impact of shame on professional psychological counseling (P < .05). Our study findings suggest that shame has a negative impact on the intention of seeking psychological help and counseling among college students, highlighting the importance of addressing shame-related factors to promote psychological health and encourage the utilization of professional psychological counseling services.

Attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional psychological help among Chinese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been suggested that healthcare workers (HCWs) are experiencing massive stressors that threaten their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, but little is known about their attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional psychological help. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and intentions of Chinese HCWs toward seeking professional psychological help during the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated factors. A total of 1,224 Chinese HCWs working in hospitals were recruited online from 12 hospitals in Hunan province in China for a survey conducted in November 2022. The Chinese version of the attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help scale-short form (ATSPPH-SF) and the general help-seeking questionnaire (GHSQ) were separately used to assess the attitudes and intentions of the respondents toward seeking professional psychological help. Demographic and socio-psychological data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire, the perceived social support scale, the self-stigma of seeking help scale, and the patient health questionnaire-9 scale. The 1,208 HCWs in the final analysis showed relatively negative attitudes and low intentions toward seeking professional psychological help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of the multiple linear regression analysis showed that female sex (p = 0.031), experience of psychological learning (p < 0.001), and social support (p < 0.001) had a positive predictive effect on the attitudes of these HCWs toward seeking professional psychological help, whereas self-stigma of seeking help (p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) exerted negative effects. Moreover, experience of psychological learning (p = 0.004) and social support (p < 0.001) had a positive predictive effect on the intentions of these HCWs toward seeking professional psychological help, whereas divorced marital status (p = 0.011) and self-stigma of seeking help (p < 0.001) exerted negative effects. The overall attitudes and intentions of HCWs toward seeking professional psychological help were not optimistic. Effective interventions targeted at influencing factors should be formulated to promote the professional psychological help-seeking attitudes and intentions of HCWs who are at risk of developing mental health problems.

“Do not be anxious about anything”: relationships between intrinsic religiosity, stigma of anxiety disorders, and treatment-seeking attitudes in a religiously affiliated university sample

ABSTRACT The current study aimed to examine how intrinsic religiosity related to beliefs about anxiety disorders, as well as how beliefs about anxiety disorders compared to schizophrenia. A convenience sample (N = 134) from a religious university completed measures of intrinsic religiosity, beliefs about anxiety and schizophrenia (i.e., anxiety/schizophrenia being related to sin/immorality and anxiety/schizophrenia being due to spiritual causes/requiring spiritual treatment), self-stigma of seeking help, and desire to seek treatment from a psychologist. Multiple regression analyses revealed that intrinsic religiosity predicted beliefs that anxiety is a result of sin/immorality and beliefs that anxiety has spiritually-oriented causes and treatments. Beliefs about spiritually-oriented causes and treatments of anxiety also predicted self-stigma of seeking help. Additionally, beliefs that anxiety stemmed from sin/morality were higher than such beliefs about schizophrenia. Results align with previous research and indicate the need for more research to examine the influence religiosity may have on beliefs about anxiety disorders.

Unveiling the Stigma: Exploring Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Muslim Students in A School with A Dual Education System in Brunei Darussalam

The lack of normalization of mental health as a conversational topic is becoming increasingly evident in certain cultures. The fact that students underutilize mental health services in schools can be attributed to the presence of various barriers that impede their willingness to seek help. Stigma surrounding mental health services continues to be the most prevalent barrier to help-seeking behaviour. Alternative barriers have emerged that are both personal and public in nature and can have a substantial impact on students’ preferences to seek help in schools. A sequential explanatory study was carried out among 256 Muslim students in a school with a dual education system to explore both their self-stigma of seeking help (SSOSH) and mental health help-seeking attitude (MHSA). In addition, 12 students were interviewed in a focus group setting to explore further the phenomenon of help-seeking by students and understand the initial quantitative analysis. Preliminary findings indicated that the students’ level of self-stigma was only moderate, but they had a favourable attitude towards counselling help. There was no significant difference in gender for both variables; however, the lower the self-stigma, the higher the mental help-seeking attitude for this current study, which is a common trend in the relationship between the two variables. The interview revealed that, apart from public stigma, the absence of a qualified counsellor, a lack of ethical principles of counselling, a confidentiality issue, and the emotional openness of the students were identified as other barriers to their help-seeking attitudes. This paper also discussed the recommendations made by students for addressing barriers to counselling and facilitating their counselling needs for the improvement of their mental and academic well-being. Additionally, this research offers the most recent data about mental health in the context of schools with a dual education system in Brunei Darussalam. It is hoped that it will serve as a guide for policymakers to consider the provision of mental health services that are more appealing to the students’ mental and academic well-being.

University students' intentions to seek psychological counseling, attitudes toward seeking psychological help, and stigma.

Mental health problems are prevalent among university students worldwide. Studies have shown that most students do not disclose and do not get the psychological help and support they need. This survey aims to investigate the intentions to seek psychological counseling (ISC) among university students, their attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help (ATSPPH), and the predictors of those intentions and attitudes including stigma. a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 420 students at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Depression, test anxiety, and difficulty sleeping are the three main reasons students would seek psychological help. The source the students most preferred to ask for help was one's family followed by psychologists and psychiatrists. Students' ATSPPH is a positive predictor of their ISC, while students' self-stigma of seeking help (SSOSH) is a negative predictor of their ATSPPH. Moreover, students' awareness of the psychological help system available on campus, free of charge, is a positive predictor for both ISC and ATSPPH. Different interventions are needed to reduce stigma and enhance students' mental health literacy and awareness of the available professional psychological help on campus.

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE SUITABILITY OF HELP-SEEKING, CULTURE AND STIGMA MEASUREMENT AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

There is a rise in the incidence and prevalence of mental distress among university students. However, the rate of mental health service utilisation is low. As psychological help-seeking attitude is a strong predictor for seeking psychological treatment, it is important to validate feasible and psychometrically sound instruments in the Malaysian context. This pilot study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of six scales measuring the moderating role of culture on the effect of stigma in psychological help-seeking attitudes among university students. An online questionnaire, consisting of 83 items and 6 scales namely, the Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ-21), Loss of Face Scale (LOF), Individualism versus Collectivism Scale (INDCOL), Perceptions of Stigmatisation by Others for Seeking Psychological Help Scale (PSOSH), Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH), and The Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Scale (ATSPPHS-SF) is distributed to a convenience sample of 61 samples from International Islamic University Malaysia. The results of this pilot study indicated that the overall reliability of the questionnaire was Cronbach’s Alpha 0.90. The Cronbach Alpha value for the total of all measures was found to be highly reliable. A factor analysis was run to test the validity of the unidimensional scales, and the results ranged from KMO value 0.63 to 0.84 with Bartlett’s p-value for all scales being significant (p &lt;0.00). Validity of multidimensional scales were tested with convergent validity analysis. Both the INDCOL and PVQ-21 showed a good convergent validity and is a valid tool. The instruments used in this pilot study can be used for the main research study in studying the moderating role of culture on the effect of stigma in psychological help-seeking attitudes among university students as the instruments are multiculturally competent. Therefore, in a multicultural population like Malaysia, instruments as such are found to be helpful in studying the effects of culture, stigma, and personal values on psychological help-seeking attitudes.

Attitudes towards Psychotherapy in Relation to Self-Stigma of Seeking Help and Coping Style. The Role of Interactions with Disabled People

The present study investigated the relationships between stigma and attitudes towards psychotherapy, discomfort experienced in interacting with people with disabilities and stigma, emotion-focused coping and avoidant coping. In addition, we examined differences between people who know people with disabilities in terms of discomfort experienced in interacting with people with disabilities and differences between people who have been to psychotherapy and those who have not been to psychotherapy in terms of attitudes toward psychotherapy. The research was conducted on a sample of 171 people aged between 18 and 63 (M = 26.00; SD = 8.07). They filled out questionnaires that measure attitudes towards psychotherapy, self-stigma of seeking help, coping style, and interaction with disabled people. The results highlighted that the higher the level of self-stigma occurs, the more negative the attitudes towards psychotherapy will be, as well as that people who have been to psychotherapy have on average a more positive attitude towards psychotherapy. With regard to disabilities, results revealed a significant positive association between discomfort in interacting with people with disabilities and stigma, emotion-focused coping and avoidant coping, together with the fact that people who know people with disabilities experience less discomfort in interacting with people with disabilities We discuss the theoretical and practical implication of the present findings, delineating both factors that favour seeking help and factors that limit them in addressing the need for psychotherapy by adopting a range of attitudes towards it.

Factors Affecting Willingness to Receive Online Counseling: The Mediating Role of Ethical Concerns

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional face-to-face counseling has gradually given way to online counseling. To improve the application value of online counseling and change the current situation of college students' lack of willingness to receive online counseling, this study explored factors that influence Chinese college students' willingness to receive online counseling (WROC). Based on data gathered from surveying 823 Chinese college students using self-report questionnaires, we clarified the relationships between the self-stigma of seeking help, ethical concerns about online counseling (ECOC), online interpersonal trust (OIT), and the willingness to receive online counseling (WROC). The results indicated that (1) self-stigma of seeking help and OIT negatively and positively predicted the WROC, respectively; (2) ethical concerns negatively predicted the WROC; and (3) ethical concerns mediated the relationship between self-stigma and WROC and between OIT and WROC. The results suggest that reducing the self-stigma surrounding help-seeking, perfecting the ethical norms of online counseling, and enhancing interpersonal trust can improve willingness to receive online counseling.

The impact of army resilience training on the self-stigma of seeking help in student veterans with and without disabilities.

The impact of army resilience training on the self-stigma of seeking help in student veterans with and without disabilities.

A mixed-methods approach to psychological help-seeking in Muslims: Islamophobia, self-stigma, and therapeutic preferences.

Muslims living in the United States (MLUS) report high mental health stigma. They also underutilize professional psychological help, despite experiencing rising Islamophobia and comparatively poorer mental health. In line with double stigma, we examined whether MLUS who perceived greater Islamophobia also experienced greater self-stigma of seeking help, and whether this was related to negative help-seeking attitudes. We also assessed therapist demographic and treatment modality preferences and explored how they related to risk factors for low help-seeking. Utilizing a representative sample of 350 MLUS (50% women, 33% immigrants) acquired via a Qualtrics panel aggregate, we assessed a path model of help-seeking attitudes to determine the direct and indirect effects of perceived Islamophobia via self-stigma and psychological distress. Therapist and treatment preferences were examined via multiple regression models and analysis of variance (ANOVAs). Open-ended responses were coded through content analysis. Perceived Islamophobia was associated with greater psychological distress and also indirectly related to negative help-seeking attitudes via greater self-stigma. Therapists of a similar background, therapy in a mosque-setting, group therapy, and imam collaboration were more appealing to MLUS who were at risk for low help-seeking. Among MLUS, perceived Islamophobia may present a dual risk-simultaneously increasing psychological distress and indirectly leading to negative attitudes toward help-seeking via higher self-stigma. Conversely, for MLUS at risk for low help-seeking, accessible community-based treatments and treatment with a Muslim or race/ethnicity-matched therapist may facilitate help-seeking behaviors. Future work may determine whether addressing double stigma within Muslim communities (e.g., Islamophobia and self-stigma) may improve psychological help-seeking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of First-Person Depression Storytelling Online Video on Men’s Self-Stigma of Seeking Help, Traditional Masculinity Ideology, and Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes

Men are reluctant to seek psychological help as doing so may label them as weak and vulnerable. Thus, we tested whether a first-person storytelling video could buffer men’s self-stigma of seeking help associated with traditional masculinity ideology. Adult men ( N = 396; Mage = 35.62) were randomly assigned and exposed to one of three conditions: (1) control (nothing), (2) male-sensitive brochure, (3) male-sensitive first-person storytelling video. Controlling for pre-existing depressive symptoms, multi-group path analyses with bootstrapping revealed that greater traditional masculinity ideology was associated with lower psychological help-seeking attitudes via increased self-stigma of seeking help, but this indirect effect was not significant for the video group. The direct effect was significantly lower in the video group compared to the brochure and control groups. The findings suggest that brief male-sensitive storytelling videos may be useful clinical and psychoeducational tools to help men re-examine their resistance toward seeking psychological help for depression.