Short-Term Changes in Internalizing Symptoms and Help-Seeking Attitudes During the Coronavirus Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 448-480
Author(s):  
P. Priscilla Lui ◽  
Shefali Katedia ◽  
Savannah Pham ◽  
Westley Giadolor ◽  
Sarah Gobrial ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes ◽  
General Decline

Introduction: Existing data suggest that American adults experience added emotional difficulties amid the coronavirus disease outbreak. Psychotherapy can help mitigate mental health concerns; still, many individuals with unmet mental health needs refrain from professional help-seeking. According to theory of reasoned action, negative help-seeking attitudes are key barriers to engagement with mental health services. Given that individuals with severe distress are more likely to seek therapy than individuals with mild psychopathology symptoms, greater initial and increasing levels of internalizing symptoms amid the coronavirus outbreak likely are linked to increasingly favorable attitudes toward professional help-seeking. Method: In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, American community adults, N = 831 [49.0% Asian Americans], Mage = 46.78, 50.2% women, were recruited for a panel survey study conducted over the course of three weeks. At each time point, participants completed questionnaires to assess their internalizing symptoms associated with depression and anxiety as well as their openness to and perceived value/need in treatment seeking. Results: Very few participants—especially Asian Americans —were seeking counseling during the study period. Latent growth curve results showed a general decline in internalizing symptoms, and no changes in openness to and perceived need in professional help-seeking. Whereas there were no time-varying correlations between internalizing symptoms and help-seeking attitudes, individuals with greater baseline internalizing symptoms generally were more open to seeking professional help and perceived less value in mental health services. Sensitivity analyses showed patterns in the Asian American subsample similar to those in the overall sample. Discussion: Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

The Influence of Social Support, Help-Seeking Attitudes and Help-Seeking Intentions on Older Australians’ use of Mental Health Services for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

2021 ◽  
pp. 009141502110508
Author(s):  
Susan Jane Bretherton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Service Use ◽  
Health Service Use ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes

This study investigated the influence of predisposing factors (social support, help-seeking attitudes and help-seeking intentions) on older Australian adults’ use of mental health services for depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Participants were 214 older Australian adults (61% female; aged between 60 and 96 years; M  =  75.15 years, SD  =  8.40 years) who completed a self-report questionnaire that measured predisposing factors and lifetime mental health service use for depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Higher levels of social support predicted non-use of mental health services. When this relationship was serially mediated by help-seeking attitudes and help-seeking intentions, it predicted mental health service use for depression and/or anxiety. Older adults are less likely to seek help for depression and/or anxiety symptoms unless members of their social support network encourage positive help-seeking attitudes, which lead to positive help-seeking intentions and the subsequent use of mental health services.

scholarly journals How Do Chinese International Students View Seeking Mental Health Services?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-305
Author(s):  
Huan Chen ◽  
Usenime Akpanudo ◽  
Erin Hasler
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Students ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Short Form ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Counseling Services ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes

This study explored how Chinese international students view seeking mental health services. One hundred and ten Chinese international students responded to the Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale–Short Form (ATSPPH-SF) and a demographic questionnaire. Results of our data analysis revealed no significant main effects of the demographic factors (gender, length of stay in the United States, and awareness of on-campus counseling services) on attitudes toward seeking mental health services. However, awareness of on-campus counseling services was found to be a mediating factor in the relationship between gender and students’ mental health help-seeking attitudes. Based on the findings, we make recommendations on how student affairs professionals can better serve the mental health needs of Chinese and other international students.

Predicting Help-Seeking Attitudes Toward Mental Health Services Among American Indian Older Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soonhee Roh ◽  
Catherine E. Burnette ◽  
Kyoung Hag Lee ◽  
Yeon-Shim Lee ◽  
James I. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
American Indian ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Behavioral Model ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes ◽  
Professional Mental Health

American Indian (AI) older adults are vulnerable to mental health disparities, yet very little is known about the factors associated with help-seeking for mental health services among them. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of Andersen’s Behavioral Model in explaining AI older adults’ help-seeking attitudes toward professional mental health services. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine predisposing, enabling, and need variables as predictors of help-seeking attitudes toward mental health services in a sample of 233 AI older adults from the Midwest. The model was found to have limited utility in the context of older AI help-seeking attitudes, as the proportion of explained variance was low. Gender, perceived stigma, social support, and physical health were significant predictors, whereas age, perceived mental health, and health insurance were not.

Some People May Need it, But Not Me, Not Now: Seeking Professional Help for Mental Health Problems in Urban China

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 754-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Distress Scale

In recent years, various levels of the Chinese government have undertaken the task of developing new models of community-based mental health services. Greater availability and higher quality will not result in substantial improvements if those suffering from mental illnesses do not use the services. This article examines not only people’s cultural perception of mental health and help-seeking but also their practical concerns and preferences about mental health service provision in urban China. The study analyzes qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 50 respondents who belong to the most psychologically distressed subgroup (with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) score ≥ 25) identified in a household survey in Beijing. While stigma about mental illness and help-seeking is real and well described, most interviewees are also not aware of the availability of professional mental health services. They believe that professional services target the upper-middle and upper classes, and are outside the sphere of their daily life and socio-economic status. The interviewees do not welcome the prospect of a mental health clinic or treatment center in their neighborhood due to concerns about stigma and confidentiality; instead, they support the creation of mental health referral services and promotion programs within the community or on the Internet. The findings suggest that the development of community-based mental health services in mainland China should take into account not only the cultural constraints that make people reluctant to seek professional help but also the structural inadequacies that deter potential user groups from accessing such services.

The Effects of Self-Construal and Masculinity vs. Femininity: A Comparison of American and Japanese Attitudes Toward Mental Health Services

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niwako Yamawaki
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes ◽  
Self In Relation ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
And Gender

This study investigated how interdependent/independent self-construals (SC) and masculinity or femininity moderated Japanese and American college students'attitudes toward mental health services. Data were analyzed from a survey that asked 316 American students (122 men and 194 women) and 362 Japanese students (147 men and 215 women) about their attitudes toward seeking professional help, their sense of self in relation to others, and their level of masculinity or femininity. Japanese and male participants tended to hold more negative help-seeking attitudes than did American and female participants. In both countries individuals with independent SC held positive attitudes. However, the roles of interdependent SC and masculinity/femininity were different for Japanese and American participants. While previous studies indicated that SC and gender have predictive roles, mental health counselors should be aware that other factors, such as indigenous beliefs about mental illness, may explain the national difference in help-seeking attitudes. Implications for mental health professionals are addressed.

The Bridge Program: A Model for Delivering Mental Health Services to Asian Americans through Primary Care

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongtu Chen ◽  
Elizabeth Kramer ◽  
Teddy Chen ◽  
Jianping Chen ◽  
Henry Chung
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Bridge Program ◽  
Community Awareness

Compared to all other racial and ethnic groups, Asian Americans have the lowest utilization of mental health services. Contributing factors include extremely low community awareness about mental health, a lack of culturally competent Asian American mental health professionals, and severe stigma associated with mental illness. This manuscript describes an innovative program that bridges the gap between primary care and mental health services. The Bridge Program, cited in the supplement to the Surgeon’s General’s Report on Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity as a model for delivery of mental health services through primary care; (2) to improve capacity by enhancing the skills of primary care providers to identify and treat mental disorders commonly seen in primary care; and (3) to raise community awareness by providing health education on mental health and illness. Results are presented and the potential for replication is addressed.

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