scholarly journals Young Men, Help-Seeking, and Mental Health Services: Exploring Barriers and Solutions

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Lynch ◽  
Maggie Long ◽  
Anne Moorhead
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Young Men ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Total N ◽  
North West

International research has identified young men as reluctant to seek help for mental health problems. This research explored barriers and solutions to professional help seeking for mental health problems among young men living in the North West of Ireland. A qualitative approach, using two focus groups with six participants each and five face-to-face interviews, was conducted with men aged 18 to 24 years (total N = 17). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seven key themes of barriers to professional help seeking were identified: “acceptance from peers,” “personal challenges,” “cultural and environmental influences,” “self-medicating with alcohol,” “perspectives around seeking professional help,” “fear of homophobic responses,” and “traditional masculine ideals.” Five key themes of solutions to these barriers included “tailored mental health advertising,” “integrating mental health into formal education,” “education through semiformal support services,” “accessible mental health care,” and “making new meaning.” Interesting findings on barriers include fear of psychiatric medication, fear of homophobic responses from professionals, the legacy of Catholic attitudes, and the genuine need for care. This study offers an in-depth exploration of how young men experience barriers and uniquely offers solutions identified by participants themselves. Youth work settings were identified as a resource for engaging young men in mental health work. Young men can be encouraged to seek help if services and professionals actively address barriers, combining advertising, services, and education, with particular attention and respect to how and when young men seek help and with whom they want to share their problems.

scholarly journals Help-seeking behaviour in men and women with common mental health problems: cross-sectional study

2005 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Isabel Oliver ◽  
Nicky Pearson ◽  
Nicola Coe ◽  
David Gunnell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour

BackgroundMany people with mental health problems do not seek professional help but their use of other sources of help is unclear.AimsTo investigate patterns of lay and professional help-seeking in men and women aged 16–64 years in relation to severity of symptoms and sociodemographic variables.MethodPostal questionnaire survey, including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–12), sent to a stratified random sample (n=15222) of the population of Somerset.ResultsThe response rate was 76%. Only 28% of people with extremely high GHQ–12 scores (⩾8) had sought help from their general practitioner but most (78%) had sought some form of help. Males, young people and people living in affluent areas were the least likely to seek help.ConclusionsHealth promotion interventions to encourage appropriate help-seeking behaviour in young people, particularly in men, may lead to improvements in the mental health of this group of the population.

scholarly journals The Perceived Stigma Reduction Expressed by Young Adults in Response to Suicide Prevention Videos

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6180
Author(s):  
Sarah Keller ◽  
Vanessa McNeill ◽  
Tan Tran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Meaningful Change ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Individual Level

Evidence indicates that stigma impedes an individual’s chance of seeking professional help for a mental health crisis. Commonly reported aggregate-level results for stigma-reduction efforts obfuscate how much stigma reduction is needed to incur a practically meaningful change within an individual, defined here as an attitudinal shift and openness towards seeking mental health for oneself and/or support for others. When basing conclusions and recommendations about stigma-reducing interventions on aggregate scales, it is unclear how much stigma reduction is needed to incur meaningful change within an individual. We explored the impact of reductions in stigma of help-seeking scores in response to an online suicide prevention video among young adults in the United States, using online surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data. We compared mean changes in the stigma scores from pre- to post-test (video exposure) of 371 young U.S. adults using standard t-tests and individual level analysis. A separate thematic analysis of free-text responses was also conducted from a smaller, randomly-selected subgroup, capturing individuals’ attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health problems. Great attention was given to participants to ensure that they were in a campus setting where counseling services were available. Four main themes emerged: (1) small changes in stigma scores were associated with individual reports of meaningful reductions in their attitudes towards professional counseling; (2) increased empathy towards victims of suicide and other mental health problems sometimes indicated increased empathy for victims of suicide and decreased openness in professional help; (3) empathy towards victims sometimes took the form of increased scores and grief or sadness, possibly thwarting the potential for help-seeking; and (4) self-reports of decreased stigma were not always associated with increased openness towards help-seeking. Results also indicated that small stigma score charges, not meeting statistical significance, were often associated with increased openness towards seeking help. These findings, discovered using mixed-methods, contribute to the body of literature regarding stigma towards suicide and help-seeking by demonstrating deficits in the aggregate-only analysis of stigma-reducing interventions specifically aimed at suicide prevention. Such individuation in stigma experiences indicates that public education on how to reduce the stigma of help-seeking for suicide prevention needs to consider individual-level analyses for improving target populations. Recommendations for future research include additional studies prior to releasing suicide prevention videos to public forums where they may be seen by individuals without access to help.

Depression literacy and help-seeking in Australian police

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 1063-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J Reavley ◽  
Allison J Milner ◽  
Angela Martin ◽  
Lay San Too ◽  
Alicia Papas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Depression Literacy

Objective: To assess depression literacy, help-seeking and help-offering to others in members of the police force in the state of Victoria, Australia. Methods: All staff in police stations involved in a cluster randomised controlled trial of an integrated workplace mental health intervention were invited to participate. Survey questions covered sociodemographic and employment information, recognition of depression in a vignette, stigma, treatment beliefs, willingness to assist co-workers with mental health problems, help-giving and help-seeking behaviours, and intentions to seek help. Using the baseline dataset associated with the trial, the paper presents a descriptive analysis of mental health literacy and helping behaviours, comparing police station leaders and lower ranks. Results: Respondents were 806 staff, comprising 618 lower-ranked staff and 188 leaders. Almost 84% of respondents were able to correctly label the problem described in the vignette. Among those who had helped someone with a mental health problem, both lower ranks and leaders most commonly reported ‘talking to the person’ although leaders were more likely to facilitate professional help. Leaders’ willingness to assist the person and confidence in doing so was very high, and over 80% of leaders appropriately rated police psychologists, general practitioners, psychologists, talking to a peer and contacting welfare as helpful. However, among both leaders and lower ranks with mental health problems, the proportion of those unlikely to seek professional help was greater than those who were likely to seek it. Conclusion: Knowledge about evidence-based interventions for depression was lower in this police sample than surveys in the general population, pointing to the need for education and training to improve mental health literacy. Such education should also aim to overcome barriers to professional help-seeking. Interventions that aim to improve mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour appear to be suitable targets for better protecting police member mental health.

Professional help seeking for young children with mental health problems

2014 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Oh ◽  
Megan Mathers ◽  
Harriet Hiscock ◽  
Melissa Wake ◽  
Jordana Bayer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Professional Help

scholarly journals Considerations when offering mental health first aid to a person with an intellectual disability: a Delphi study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy S. Bond ◽  
Fairlie A. Cottrill ◽  
Louise Kelly ◽  
Joan Broughan ◽  
Kimberley Davies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Professional Help

Abstract Background People with an intellectual disability experience higher rates of mental health problems, but experience significant barriers to receiving professional help. Increasing the knowledge and skills of those who support them can help to reduce some of these barriers. This study aimed to develop guidelines for offering mental health first aid to a person with an intellectual disability. Methods Using the Delphi research method, a systematic search of websites, books and journal articles was conducted to develop a survey containing items about the knowledge, skills and actions needed for assisting a person with an intellectual disability who is experiencing mental health problems. These items were rated over three survey rounds by an expert panel according to whether they should be included in the guidelines. Results Fifty-three experts completed all three survey rounds (67% retention rate). A total of 202 items were rated over the three rounds to yield 170 endorsed items that were incorporated into the guidelines. The developed guidelines emphasise the need to recognise the unique signs of mental health problems in people with an intellectual disability, and provide appropriate support, communication and respect for people with an intellectual disability. The guidelines will also build the capacity of carers to address behaviours of concern, socially limiting behaviours or seeking professional help when the need arises. The guidelines will be used to develop a mental health first aid course. Conclusion The guidelines and the resultant mental health first aid course will be a helpful resource with the potential to address some of the barriers to mental health help-seeking that people with an intellectual disability experience.

Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Help-Seeking Behavior in a Hispanic-Serving Institution

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiu-Lan Cheng ◽  
Richard Martinez ◽  
Jessica L. Jackson ◽  
Casey N. Durham ◽  
Jill K. Peters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Hispanic Serving Institution ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Hispanic Serving

Investigation of the “alternative” effects of an online support group for mental health problems among Japanese adults: A cross-sectional study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osamu Kobori ◽  
Naoki Yoshinaga
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Online Support ◽  
Online Support Groups ◽  
Online Support Group ◽  
Usage Frequency

BACKGROUND Owing to the rapid development of social networking services, online support groups vary widely both in goal and structure. Several studies have shown the potential effectiveness of online support groups, such as reducing psychological distress (eg depression) among individuals with mental health problems. However, online support groups often do not aim at effectiveness regarding distress-relief-related outcomes. OBJECTIVE The U2plus.jp (hereinafter U2plus) is an online support group for individuals with depression; in it, people support each other in structured ways while engaging in simple cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) exercises. This study aimed to examine if usage frequency of the U2plus functions are associated with decreased stigma and increased consumer. METHODS In total, 355 U2plus users took part in an online survey. They were asked what therapy they had ever received, how often they logged into it and used each of its functions, and completed the following questionnaires: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Perceived Devaluation Discrimination Scale, and the General Help Seeking Scale. RESULTS Regarding the therapy they received, 89.3% (n=308) had been on medication for mental health problems, and 67.5% (n=233) had received psychotherapy or mental health counselling. Regarding the usage frequency, approximately 20% of the participants signed in to U2plus and used its functions more than once a week. The usage frequency of U2plus functions was not associated with perceived stigma. However, usage frequency of some functions was correlated to help seeking intentions from formal sources (eg doctors and psychologists). Moreover, 90% of the participants had a history of medication for their mental health. Additionally, the more depressed participants were, the more frequently they used U2plus. CONCLUSIONS It was suggested that online support groups may serve as an alternative treatment option for those who are already undergoing pharmacological treatment and are willing to seek help from whatever source they deem helpful.

scholarly journals A Walk-In Clinic for Newly Arrived Mentally Burdened Refugees: The Patient Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2275
Author(s):  
Catharina Zehetmair ◽  
Valentina Zeyher ◽  
Anna Cranz ◽  
Beate Ditzen ◽  
Sabine C. Herpertz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
High Level ◽  
Past Experiences

Providing refugees with psychosocial support is particularly important considering the high level of mental health problems prevalent in this population. A psychosocial walk-in clinic operating within a state reception and registration center in Germany has been supporting mentally burdened refugees since 2016. This study focused on patients’ perspectives on their mental health burden, the psychosocial walk-in clinic, and future help seeking. We conducted interviews with n = 22 refugees attending the walk-in clinic from March to May 2019. Qualitative analysis focused on the following four topics: (1) mental burden from the patients’ perspective, (2) access to the psychosocial walk-in clinic, (3) perception of counseling sessions, and (4) perception of follow-up treatment. The results show that the majority of interviewees were burdened by psychological and somatic complaints, mostly attributed to past experiences and post-migratory stress. Therapeutic counseling and psychiatric medication were found to be particularly helpful. Most of the participants felt motivated to seek further psychosocial support. Key barriers to seeking psychosocial help included shame, fear of stigma, and lack of information. Overall, the psychosocial walk-in clinic is a highly valued support service for newly arrived refugees with mental health issues.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document