Burdens in mental health recovery: Causal beliefs and their relation to stigma and help seeking recommendations

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402097324
Author(s):  
Lisa Colman ◽  
Katrijn Delaruelle ◽  
Carolien Luypaert ◽  
Rebekka Verniest ◽  
Piet Bracke
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Causal Beliefs ◽  
Personal Beliefs ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Informal Help

Background: Lay attitudes are often seen as potential barriers to mental health recovery. But apart from perceiving them as potential barriers, they can also play an important role in stimulating individuals to consult (in)formal help sources, in particular through the process of help referral. Where existing research mainly focusses on actual help seeking behaviour, this study will focus on lay publics’ referral behaviour. Aims: This study analyses the relation between causal beliefs and stigmatising attitudes and social distance on the one hand, and (in)formal help seeking recommendations on the other. Methods: Data from a survey carried out in 2019, assessing the attitudes of Public Health Insurance Provider (HIP) members towards mental health problems, was used. Part of the survey questions was based on a quantitative quasi-experimental design, using hypothetical written vignettes. The weighted data represent a sample of the adult Flemish population (22–94 years, N = 5675). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relation between causal beliefs and stigma, while binominal logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relation between causal beliefs and help seeking recommendations. Results: The results reveal that causal beliefs significantly associate with stigma, measured by stigmatising attitudes and social distance: personal- or biogenetic beliefs associate with more stigma, where psychosocial beliefs associate with less stigma. Concerning help seeking recommendations, psychosocial beliefs associate with recommending psychological or psychotherapeutic care, biogenetic beliefs associate with advising help from general practitioners and suggesting psychiatric help, while personal beliefs negatively associate with recommending formal help. Meanwhile, biogenetic beliefs associate with less informal help seeking recommendations (e.g. family, friends and online self-help), where personal beliefs associate with more informal help seeking recommendations and psychosocial beliefs only associate with online help referral. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of causal beliefs in affecting public stigma and help seeking recommendations.

scholarly journals A comparison of formal and informal help in the context of mental health recovery

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110049
Author(s):  
François Lauzier-Jobin ◽  
Janie Houle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Bipolar Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Helping Relationships ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Time Limitations ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Informal Help

Background: People in recovery from anxiety, depressive or bipolar disorders can receive both formal (from practitioners) and informal help (from family and friends). These two types of helping relationships have often been studied separately as either therapeutic relationships or social support. Yet, the mechanisms of these two forms of help have not been empirically compared in the context of mental health recovery. Aims: The purpose of this study is to compare the mechanisms of informal help and formal help in recovery by combining the perspectives of individuals in recovery, their informal helper and their practitioner. Method: Individual interviews were conducted with 15 triads ( N = 45 participants) comprising a person in recovery, their most significant informal helper and their most significant practitioner to compare the two forms of help through a mixed method approach. Based on the paradigm of critical realism, the research puts the emphasis on the triangulation of data sources and types. Results: The informal and formal helping relationships serve multiple functions some can be found in both, often in different ways (communication, presence and availability). Informal helpers tend to serve a broader array of functions than practitioners do. Regarding differences, formal help is characterised by scheduling, time limitations and professional competencies. Informal help is characterised by emotional closeness, companionship and reciprocity. Also, people in recovery are active when it comes to determining the role that their helpers play (agency). Conclusions: Social support from family members and friends, as well as help from professionals can contribute to recovery in different ways. Attesting to the agency of people in recovery, the two forms of help are not only perceived as complementary, they are deliberately kept so.

How does trust affect help-seeking for Depression in Russia and Australia?

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110392
Author(s):  
Daniel Cavanagh ◽  
Tomas Jurcik ◽  
Morteza Charkhabi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Psychological Help ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Cultural Research

Background: Depression is a major contributor to the global burden of disease that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Cross cultural studies find that culture influences levels of trust which can impact upon an individual’s likelihood to seek psychological help when experiencing Depression. Aims: Help seeking is essential for improved mental health outcomes. This study aims to consider how trust affects help-seeking as well as examine the differences in stigma and social distance between participants in Russia and Australia. Method: Participants consisted of two separate samples from Australian ( n = 229) and Russia ( n = 259) which were recruited based on a vignette of a diagnostically unlabelled psychiatric case history with Depression using a cross-cultural research design. They completed items on the level of trust in health professionals, stigma and endorsement of help-seeking. Results: Findings suggest that trust can predict the endorsement of seeking help from a psychologist. Moreover, trust was lower for participants in Russia compared to those in Australia for mental health professionals. Participants in Russia had higher levels of stigma and social distance than their counterparts in Australia. Overall, participants in Australia were more likely to seek professional help than those in Russia. Conclusions: Trust can predict the endorsement of help-seeking from mental health professionals cross culturally. Barriers to help-seeking such as stigma continue to negatively affect mental health outcomes, particularly in Russia.

scholarly journals Individuals with currently untreated mental illness: causal beliefs and readiness to seek help

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (04) ◽  
pp. 446-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Stolzenburg ◽  
S. Freitag ◽  
S. Evans-Lacko ◽  
S. Speerforck ◽  
S. Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Causal Beliefs ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Causal Explanations ◽  
Perceived Need

Aims.Many people with mental illness do not seek professional help. Beliefs about the causes of their current health problem seem relevant for initiating treatment. Our aim was to find out to what extent the perceived causes of current untreated mental health problems determine whether a person considers herself/himself as having a mental illness, perceives need for professional help and plans to seek help in the near future.Methods.In a cross-sectional study, we examined 207 untreated persons with a depressive syndrome, all fulfilling criteria for a current mental illness as confirmed with a structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). The sample was recruited in the community using adverts, flyers and social media. We elicited causal explanations for the present problem, depression literacy, self-identification as having a mental illness, perceived need for professional help, help-seeking intentions, severity of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire – Depression), and whether respondents had previously sought mental healthcare.Results.Most participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a mood disorder (n = 181, 87.4%) and/or neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (n = 120, 58.0%) according to the ICD-10. N = 94 (45.4%) participants had never received mental health treatment previously. Exploratory factor analysis of a list of 25 different causal explanations resulted in five factors: biomedical causes, person-related causes, childhood trauma, current stress and unhealthy behaviour. Attributing the present problem to biomedical causes, person-related causes, childhood trauma and stress were all associated with stronger self-identification as having a mental illness. In persons who had never received mental health treatment previously, attribution to biomedical causes was related to greater perceived need and stronger help-seeking intentions. In those with treatment experience, lower attribution to person-related causes and stress were related to greater perceived need for professional help.Conclusions.While several causal explanations are associated with self-identification as having a mental illness, only biomedical attributions seem to be related to increase perceived need and help-seeking intentions, especially in individuals with no treatment experiences. Longitudinal studies investigating causal beliefs and help-seeking are needed to find out how causal attributions guide help-seeking behaviour. From this study it seems possible that portraying professional mental health treatment as not being restricted to biomedical problems would contribute to closing the treatment gap for mental disorders.

scholarly journals Associations between dimensions of Mental Health Literacy and adolescent help-seeking intentions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Goodfellow ◽  
Anna Macintyre ◽  
Lee Knifton ◽  
Edward Sosu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problem ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Informal Help

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for the development of mental health problems. However low mental health literacy (MHL) may impede help-seeking for these problems. Although MHL is a multidimensional construct and adolescent help-seeking can be through formal and informal means, little is known about how dimensions of MHL influence these help-seeking intentions. This study examines associations between dimensions of MHL and formal and informal help-seeking intentions among adolescents. It also investigates whether informal help-seeking mediates the association between dimensions of MHL and formal help-seeking, and whether these associations are moderated by gender. Methods: A cross-sectional survey including measures of MHL, and help-seeking intentions was distributed to participants in ten schools (12-18 years) across Scotland (n = 734). Data were analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Results: CFA identified two distinct dimensions of MHL: ability to identify a mental health problem, and knowledge of treatment efficacy. Only knowledge of treatment efficacy was associated with increased intention to seek formal and informal help. Ability to identify a mental health problem was negatively associated with both forms of help-seeking intention. Informal help-seeking mediated the association between both forms of MHL and formal help-seeking. Gender did not moderate associations between MHL and help-seeking. Conclusions: Distinct dimensions of MHL have disparate associations with adolescent help-seeking intention. Care should be taken when providing MHL interventions to ensure that adaptive forms of MHL are equally promoted. Future research should investigate possible mechanisms by which discrete forms of MHL influence adolescent help-seeking.

scholarly journals Formal and Informal Help-Seeking for Mental Health Problems. A Survey of Preferences of Italian Students

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara D’Avanzo ◽  
Angelo Barbato ◽  
Stefano Erzegovesi ◽  
Letizia Lampertico ◽  
Filippo Rapisarda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
High Propensity ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Exclusive Or ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
Informal Help

Help-seeking preferences for mental health are a crucial aspect to design strategies to support adolescents in an emotionally delicate life phase. Informal help-seeking is usually preferred but little was published about preferences in different cultures, and it is not clear whether informal and formal help are mutually exclusive or whether they are part of the same overall propensity to help-seeking. In a survey of 710 students in Milan, Italy, help-seeking propensity measured through an Italian version of the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire was high, similar in males and females (mean total score 3.8, DS 0.9); few (9%) tended not to seek help. The most-preferred source of help was a friend, then father or mother, partner, psychologist and psychiatrist. 355 students (55%) reported high propensity to seek both informal and formal help; 33 (5%) would only seek formal help. Help-seeking should be promoted in itself, rather than indicating professionals and professional settings as primary sources of help.

The correlation between workers’ working pressure and physical and mental health analyzed by the job demand-resource stress model

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Jingfu Lu ◽  
Yanliang Yu ◽  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Michelle Jenkin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Pressure Source ◽  
Coordinated Development ◽  
Working Pressure ◽  
Job Demand ◽  
Resource Stress

BACKGROUND: Under the background of the information society, teachers’ pressure from work and life is increasing. Meanwhile, the working pressure has a potential inevitable connection with the physical and mental health of teachers. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between working pressure of workers and mental health status, expand the application of the job demand-resource stress (JD-RS) model in the adjustment of working characteristic pressure, and achieve the coordinated development between working pressure and mental health. METHODS: The occupation of the teacher is taken as the research object. First, the pressure source questionnaire and Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90) are chosen to measure the working pressure and mental health. Also, the reliability and validity of the pressure source questionnaire are tested. Second, the gender, duty, teaching age, and workload of teachers are chosen as the foundation for comparing and analyzing the impact of various dimensions and project factors on teachers’ working pressure and mental health. Finally, based on the method of univariate linear regression analysis, the correlation between teachers’ working pressure and mental health is analyzed and characterized. RESULTS: The measurement tool based on the pressure source questionnaire has good performance reliability and validity. The five dimensions of Cronbach’s coefficients are all greater than 0.8, and the indicators of fitting all meet psychometrics requirements. Significance analysis shows that different genders, duties, teaching ages, and workloads have different levels of significant influence on teachers’ working pressure and mental health. Linear regression analysis shows that teachers’ working pressure has a significant impact on their physical and mental health, which has a predictive effect. Teachers who bear high-intensity pressure have psychological problems. CONCLUSIONS: The research based on the JD-RS model has a positive role in promoting the balanced and coordinated development of working pressure and the physical and mental health of employed workers.

scholarly journals Effect of Solitary on Depression and Well-being of Older Adults Residing in Old Homes

2021 ◽  
Vol VI (I) ◽  
pp. 96-102
Author(s):  
Ammara Sattar ◽  
Muhammad Naveed Riaz ◽  
Asma Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Depression Subscale ◽  
Mental Well Being

The study aimed to examine the effect of solitary on depression and the well-being of older adults residing in old homes. The sample comprised of older adults residing in old homes (N = 100). Solitude Scale, Depression subscale of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale and Short Warwick Edinburg Mental Well-Being Scale were applied on the older adults. Linear Regression analysis showed that solitary positively predicted depression in older adults residing in old homes, whereas solitary negatively predicted well-being in older adults residing in old homes. The findings of this study can be used to improve the mental health of older adults residing in old homes.

scholarly journals Association of Sleep Duration and Screen Time With Anxiety of Pregnant Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Yuge Zhang ◽  
Renli Deng ◽  
Min Chen ◽  
Rong Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the patterns of lifestyle and posed psychological stress on pregnant women. However, the association of sleep duration and screen time with anxiety among pregnant women under the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic scenario has been poorly addressed. We conducted one large-scale, multicenter cross-sectional study which recruited 1794 pregnant women across middle and west China. Self-reported demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and mental health status were collected from 6th February to 8th May 2020. We investigated the association of sleep duration and screen time with the risk of anxiety by multivariable logistic regression analysis and linear regression analysis after adjusting potential confounders. The dose-response relationship of sleep duration and screen time with anxiety was visualized using a cubic spline plot. Our data revealed that almost 35% of pregnant women suffered from anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep duration was dose-dependently associated with a lower risk of anxiety among pregnant women (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.27–0.63), while screen time exhibited a conversed effect (OR = 2.01, 95% CI:1.00–4.39). Notably, sleep duration (≥8 h/day) synergistically combined with screen time (3–7 h/day) to diminish the risk of anxiety (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.50–0.99). Taken together, sleep duration and screen time were independently and jointly associated with anxiety (P < 0.05). Therefore, promoting a more active lifestyle and maintaining higher sleep quality could improve the mental health of pregnant women, especially under public health emergency.

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