Is Knowledge Enough? The Relationship Between Mental Health Knowledge and Stigmatising Attitudes Among Australian Adolescents

Background: Young people carry mental health problems disproportionate to the size of their population, and rates of help-seeking are low. School mental health programs have been developed to address these issues, founded on an educational approach to target mental health literacy, and indirectly improve help-seeking. However, it has been suggested that knowledge does not necessarily predict health behaviour in young people. Objective/Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore whether knowledge about mental illness was related to attitudes towards mental illness and intentions to seek help in a sample of adolescent girls (N=327). Results: Results indicated a weak negative relationship between knowledge about mental health and stigmatising attitudes about mental illness, but no relationship between knowledge about mental health and intentions to seek help for mental health problems. When mental health was categorised (e.g., optimal vs. poorer mental health), a negative relationship between knowledge about and stigmatising attitudes toward mental health was shown in those with poor mental health, but not for adolescents categorised as having moderate or optimal mental health. Conclusion: Findings suggest that while the traditional adage - more information on mental health equals better attitude to mental health - may be true for those with ‘poorer’ levels of mental health (e.g., high levels of psychological distress), it may not reduce stigma associated with mental illness or motivate positive health behaviour in adolescent girls with ‘optimal’ mental health (e.g., low or no levels of psychological distress). .

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Changes in psychological distress and psychosocial functioning in young people visiting headspace centres for mental health problems

The Medical Journal of Australia ◽

10.5694/mja14.01696 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 202 (10) ◽

pp. 537-542 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

Debra J Rickwood ◽

Kelly R Mazzer ◽

Nic R Telford ◽

Alexandra G Parker ◽

Chris J Tanti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Young People ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems

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The Needs of Older People with Mental Health Problems: A Particular Focus on Dementia Patients and Their Carers

International Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.1155/2012/638267 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Joaquim Passos ◽

Carlos Sequeira ◽

Lia Fernandes

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Older People ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Health Problems ◽

Association Analyses ◽

Dementia Patients

The problems and needs of older people are often associated with mental illness, characterized by a set of clinical manifestations, which constitute important domains for investigation and clinical practice. This paper presents the results of a pilot study whose main purpose was to identify met and unmet needs and to analyze the relationship between those needs, psychopathology and functionality in older people with mental health problems. A sample of 75 patients aged 65 or over, of both sexes, diagnosed with mental illness using ICD-9. The main diagnoses were depression (36%) and dementia (29.3%). Most patients had cognitive impairment (MMSE, 52%; CDT, 66.7%), depression (GDS, 61.3%), anxiety (ZAS, 81.3%), and moderate dependence (BI, 49.3% and LI, 77.3%). The main unmet needs found were daytime activities (40%), social benefits (13.3%), company (10.7%), psychological distress (9.3%), and continence (8%). The majority of these unmet needs occur with dementia patients. The majority of the carers of these patients had global needs (met and unmet) in terms of psychological distress. Findings also reveal that a low level of functionality is associated with dementia diagnoses. The association analyses suggest that dementia is an important determinant of the functional status and needs.

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Lost in space - an exploration of help-seeking among young people with mental health problems: a constructivist grounded theory study

Archives of Public Health ◽

10.1186/s13690-020-00471-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 78 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Katrin Häggström Westberg ◽

Jens M. Nygren ◽

Maria Nyholm ◽

Ing-Marie Carlsson ◽

Petra Svedberg

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Grounded Theory ◽

Young People ◽

Support Services ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Professional Support ◽

Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽

Health Concern

Abstract Background Mental health problems among young people is a worldwide public health concern. There has been an increase in mental health problems among young people in the Nordic countries in the last 25 years, particularly in Sweden. Despite this increase, international research has repeatedly shown that young people do not access or receive support when encountering mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to explore the process of help-seeking for professional support among young people with mental health problems. Methods The study used qualitative constructivist Grounded Theory and open-ended interviews. Thirteen young people between 15 and 23, recruited from two local support clinics, were interviewed. Results Lost in space emerged as the core category, capturing aspects of both the experience of self and mental health problems as well as the process of seeking and acquiring help from professional support systems. The study identified several prominent barriers for seeking and acquiring professional help for mental health problems. The young people expressed a lack of knowledge on mental health issues and support services and substantial efforts were made to try to cope with problems on one’s own. Lost in space involved Drifting - trying to make sense of own experiences and struggling to cope with problems, Navigating - searching for help through multiple attempts and contacts and Docking - finding support with something/somebody that feels right. Conclusions The theoretical model sheds light on how young people with mental health problems were met with fragmented support services. Society needs to provide encompassing, youth-friendly and flexible support services, so that attempts at help-seeking are not missed.

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

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.186.4.297 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 186 (4) ◽

pp. 297-301 ◽

Cited By ~ 231

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.

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Reducing psychiatric stigma and discrimination: evaluation of educational interventions in UK secondary schools

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.182.4.342 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 182 (4) ◽

pp. 342-346 ◽

Cited By ~ 250

Author(s):

Vanessa Pinfold ◽

Hilary Toulmin ◽

Graham Thornicroft ◽

Peter Huxley ◽

Paul Farmer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Young People ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Health Problems ◽

Personal Contact ◽

School Students ◽

Negative Stereotypes

BackgroundThe persistent and disabling nature of psychiatric stigma has led to the establishment of global programmes to challenge the negative stereotypes and discriminatory responses that generate social disability but these initiatives are rarely evaluated.AimsTo assess the effectiveness of an intervention with young people aimed at increasing mental health literacy and challenging negative stereotypes associated with severe mental illness.MethodA total of 472 secondary school students attended two mental health awareness workshops and completed pre- and post-questionnaires detailing knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions.ResultsYoung people use an extensive vocabulary of 270 different words and phrases to describe people with mental health problems: most were derogatory terms. Mean positive attitude scores rose significantly from 1.2 at baseline to 2.8 at 1-week follow-up and 2.3 at a 6-month follow-up. Changes were most marked for female students and those reporting personal contact with people with mental illness.ConclusionsShort educational workshops can produce positive changes in participants' reported attitudes towards people with mental health problems.

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Predictors of help-seeking behaviour in people with mental health problems: a 3-year prospective community study

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03435-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Carolin M. Doll ◽

Chantal Michel ◽

Marlene Rosen ◽

Naweed Osman ◽

Benno G. Schimmelmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Community Study ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Help Seeking Behaviour ◽

Anticipated Stigma

Abstract Background The majority of people with mental illness do not seek help at all or only with significant delay. To reduce help-seeking barriers for people with mental illness, it is therefore important to understand factors predicting help-seeking. Thus, we prospectively examined potential predictors of help-seeking behaviour among people with mental health problems (N = 307) over 3 years. Methods Of the participants of a 3-year follow-up of a larger community study (response rate: 66.4%), data of 307 (56.6%) persons with any mental health problems (age-at-baseline: 16–40 years) entered a structural equation model of the influence of help-seeking, stigma, help-seeking attitudes, functional impairments, age and sex at baseline on subsequent help-seeking for mental health problems. Results Functional impairment at baseline was the strongest predictor of follow-up help-seeking in the model. Help-seeking at baseline was the second-strongest predictor of subsequent help-seeking, which was less likely when help-seeking for mental health problems was assumed to be embarrassing. Personal and perceived stigma, and help-seeking intentions had no direct effect on help-seeking. Conclusions With only 22.5% of persons with mental health problems seeking any help for these, there was a clear treatment gap. Functional deficits were the strongest mediator of help-seeking, indicating that help is only sought when mental health problems have become more severe. Earlier help-seeking seemed to be mostly impeded by anticipated stigma towards help-seeking for mental health problems. Thus, factors or beliefs conveying such anticipated stigma should be studied longitudinally in more detail to be able to establish low-threshold services in future.

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Stigma associated with mental health problems among young people in India: a systematic review of magnitude, manifestations and recommendations

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-020-02937-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shivani Mathur Gaiha ◽

Tatiana Taylor Salisbury ◽

Mirja Koschorke ◽

Usha Raman ◽

Mark Petticrew

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Young People ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Public Stigma ◽

Targeted Interventions ◽

Awareness Campaigns

Abstract Background Globally, 20% of young people experience mental disorders. In India, only 7.3% of its 365 million youth report such problems. Although public stigma associated with mental health problems particularly affects help-seeking among young people, the extent of stigma among young people in India is unknown. Describing and characterizing public stigma among young people will inform targeted interventions to address such stigma in India, and globally. Thus, we examined the magnitude and manifestations of public stigma, and synthesised evidence of recommendations to reduce mental-health-related stigma among young people in India. Method A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies was conducted. Nine electronic databases were searched and 30 studies (n = 6767) met inclusion criteria. Results Most studies (66%) focused on youth training to become health professionals. One-third of young people display poor knowledge of mental health problems and negative attitudes towards people with mental health problems and one in five had actual/intended stigmatizing behavior (I2>=95%). Young people are unable to recognize causes and symptoms of mental health problems and believe that recovery is unlikely. People with mental health problems are perceived as dangerous and irresponsible, likely due to misinformation and misunderstanding of mental health problems as being solely comprised of severe mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia). However, psychiatric labels are not commonly used/understood. Conclusion Public education may use symptomatic vignettes (through relatable language and visuals) instead of psychiatric labels to improve young people’s understanding of the range of mental health problems. Recommended strategies to reduce public stigma include awareness campaigns integrated with educational institutions and content relevant to culture and age-appropriate social roles.

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Association between public views of mental illness and self-stigma among individuals with mental illness in 14 European countries

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291711002558 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 42 (8) ◽

pp. 1741-1752 ◽

Cited By ~ 195

Author(s):

S. Evans-Lacko ◽

E. Brohan ◽

R. Mojtabai ◽

G. Thornicroft

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Perceived Discrimination ◽

Health Problems ◽

European Countries ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Public Stigma ◽

The Public

BackgroundLittle is known about how the views of the public are related to self-stigma among people with mental health problems. Despite increasing activity aimed at reducing mental illness stigma, there is little evidence to guide and inform specific anti-stigma campaign development and messages to be used in mass campaigns. A better understanding of the association between public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours and the internalization of stigma among people with mental health problems is needed.MethodThis study links two large, international datasets to explore the association between public stigma in 14 European countries (Eurobarometer survey) and individual reports of self-stigma, perceived discrimination and empowerment among persons with mental illness (n=1835) residing in those countries [the Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks (GAMIAN) study].ResultsIndividuals with mental illness living in countries with less stigmatizing attitudes, higher rates of help-seeking and treatment utilization and better perceived access to information had lower rates of self-stigma and perceived discrimination and those living in countries where the public felt more comfortable talking to people with mental illness had less self-stigma and felt more empowered.ConclusionsTargeting the general public through mass anti-stigma interventions may lead to a virtuous cycle by disrupting the negative feedback engendered by public stigma, thereby reducing self-stigma among people with mental health problems. A combined approach involving knowledge, attitudes and behaviour is needed; mass interventions that facilitate disclosure and positive social contact may be the most effective. Improving availability of information about mental health issues and facilitating access to care and help-seeking also show promise with regard to stigma.

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Stigma and Poor Mental Health Literacy As Barriers to Service Use Among Unemployed People With Mental Illness – A Qualitative Study

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1786 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

pp. S487-S487 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

T. Staiger ◽

T. Waldmann ◽

S. Krumm ◽

N. Rüsch

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Unemployed People

Introduction/objectivesMental health problems were shown by different studies to be both: results of and risk factors for unemployment. However, unemployed people with mental health problems often have difficulties in finding and using mental health services and therefore do not benefit from therapies. Because unemployed individuals outside the healthcare system are a hard-to-reach group, barriers to but also facilities for mental health services are poorly understood.AimsThe aim of the study is to identify barriers and facilitators of help seeking and service use, based on experiences of unemployed people with mental health strains.MethodsWe conducted 15 qualitative semi-structured interviews with unemployed individuals, facing self-reported mental health problems or mental illness. Topics included individual experiences with help-seeking and mental health service use, with a focus on barriers and facilitators. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and major themes were identified.ResultsPatients fear adverse reactions of psychiatric medication. They report to be treated as “different” by their social environment and health professionals, which leads to a lack of self-esteem and inhibits them in their help seeking efforts. Social support and desire for change on the other hand can be strong motivational factors in searching for help.ConclusionPerception of GPs towards mental health issues of their patients, and especially unemployed patients, has to be raised. Stigmatization of mental illnesses and help seeking should be reduced in practical context.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Exploring the relationship between psychological distress and likelihood of help seeking in construction workers: The role of talking to workmates and knowing how to get help

Work ◽

10.3233/wor-203251 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 47-54

Author(s):

Janine Chapman ◽

Ann M. Roche ◽

Vinita Duraisingam ◽

Brooke Ledner ◽

Jim Finnane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Health Problems ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Multiple Mediation ◽

Knowing How ◽

Male Dominated

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems are prevalent in male-dominated industries such as construction, where suicide rates are higher than the population average and help seeking is typically low. OBJECTIVE: To examine psychological distress in Australian construction workers and its relationship with help seeking via two hypothesised mediators: confidence in knowing how to get help and confidence in talking to workmates about mental health issues. METHODS: Workers (N = 511) completed a survey that assessed psychological distress, likelihood of help seeking, and confidence in knowing how to get help and talking to workmates. Bootstrapped multiple mediation analysis was performed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. RESULTS: Psychological distress was higher than national estimates and most prevalent in men aged 25–44. Controlling for age and ability to recognise personal signs of mental health problems, psychological distress negatively predicted likelihood of help seeking. This relationship was partially mediated by knowing how to get help and confidence in talking to workmates. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the need to redress and mitigate mental health problems among high-risk groups of male workers. It provides useful guidance on multilevel workplace strategies to reduce stigma, enhance confidence and comfort in the process of seeking help and support in construction and other male-dominated industries.

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