Attitudes Toward Mental Health Help Seeking as Predictors of Future Help-Seeking Behavior and Use of Mental Health Treatments
Abstract
Objectives:
Methods:
Results:
Conclusions:
Methods
Sample
Baseline Assessments
Follow-up Assessments
Data Analysis
Results
Baseline attitude or belief | Mental health help seeking during follow-up | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total sample (N=5,001)b | Any professional (N=1,664)b | Mental health professional (N=1,163)b | General medical professional (N=918)b | Other professional (N=224)b | Prescription psychiatric medication (N=1,178)b | Psychological counseling or therapy (N=1,203)b | ||||||||
N | Column %c | N | Row %c | N | Row %c | N | Row %c | N | Row %c | N | Row %c | N | Row %c | |
Will go for professional help for serious emotional problem | ||||||||||||||
Definitely not | 202 | 4.5 | 45 | 20.7 | 31 | 15.9 | 22 | 7.1 | 4 | 2.0 | 30 | 11.7 | 32 | 15.9 |
Probably not | 887 | 16.4 | 235 | 23.1 | 160 | 16.4 | 129 | 11.6 | 26 | 2.1 | 171 | 15.2 | 168 | 17.4 |
Probably | 2,208 | 44.8 | 657 | 25.9 | 442 | 16.3 | 380 | 15.0 | 95 | 2.6 | 458 | 18.0 | 459 | 16.6 |
Definitely | 1,701 | 34.2 | 727 | 33.4 | 530 | 22.3 | 387 | 18.3 | 99 | 4.0 | 519 | 24.2 | 544 | 23.5 |
Comfortable talking about personal problems with a professional | ||||||||||||||
Not at all | 437 | 8.7 | 127 | 24.4 | 92 | 17.6 | 76 | 12.7 | 16 | 2.8 | 89 | 15.9 | 87 | 16.7 |
Not very | 928 | 18.0 | 238 | 21.5 | 146 | 13.3 | 136 | 11.5 | 26 | 1.9 | 168 | 13.9 | 155 | 13.7 |
Somewhat | 2,359 | 47.2 | 773 | 27.8 | 542 | 17.9 | 422 | 15.6 | 108 | 2.8 | 541 | 19.5 | 571 | 19.5 |
Very | 1,272 | 26.1 | 526 | 33.4 | 383 | 23.0 | 284 | 18.2 | 74 | 4.1 | 380 | 24.3 | 390 | 22.9 |
Embarrassed if friends knew about getting professional help | ||||||||||||||
Very | 470 | 9.8 | 137 | 26.5 | 95 | 19.0 | 70 | 12.2 | 14 | 2.2 | 96 | 16.6 | 100 | 19.0 |
Somewhat | 1,656 | 33.0 | 497 | 24.8 | 336 | 15.3 | 276 | 14.4 | 68 | 2.5 | 346 | 17.5 | 347 | 16.2 |
Not very | 1,233 | 24.3 | 426 | 30.4 | 305 | 20.3 | 236 | 17.4 | 57 | 3.2 | 295 | 21.0 | 315 | 21.4 |
Not at all | 1,638 | 32.9 | 604 | 29.2 | 427 | 19.8 | 336 | 15.4 | 85 | 3.5 | 441 | 21.0 | 441 | 20.3 |
What percent of people who see a professional are helped? | ||||||||||||||
0–24 | 522 | 10.6 | 162 | 27.3 | 111 | 19.7 | 86 | 13.6 | 23 | 3.0 | 122 | 19.6 | 112 | 20.5 |
25–49 | 789 | 15.8 | 248 | 27.4 | 169 | 17.7 | 142 | 15.8 | 40 | 3.5 | 168 | 18.4 | 186 | 19.6 |
50–74 | 2,205 | 46.2 | 734 | 28.5 | 519 | 18.8 | 398 | 15.4 | 91 | 2.7 | 514 | 19.9 | 531 | 19.0 |
75–100 | 1,327 | 27.4 | 465 | 27.6 | 328 | 18.2 | 261 | 15.3 | 65 | 3.3 | 331 | 19.1 | 338 | 18.9 |
What percent of people who do not get professional help get better? | ||||||||||||||
0–24 | 1,883 | 43.4 | 617 | 26.2 | 435 | 18.2 | 337 | 13.4 | 84 | 2.8 | 452 | 18.8 | 457 | 19.3 |
25–49 | 1,265 | 28.4 | 418 | 26.4 | 314 | 19.9 | 219 | 12.9 | 47 | 2.3 | 266 | 15.9 | 323 | 20.0 |
50–74 | 1,131 | 24.7 | 375 | 31.1 | 247 | 18.8 | 218 | 18.3 | 60 | 3.3 | 276 | 23.1 | 254 | 19.6 |
75–100 | 164 | 3.5 | 53 | 29.9 | 37 | 17.0 | 25 | 17.8 | 8 | 4.6 | 33 | 19.5 | 41 | 19.0 |
Difference in percent who get better with professional help versus without | ||||||||||||||
≤0 | 1,124 | 25.2 | 355 | 28.5 | 228 | 16.9 | 202 | 16.6 | 54 | 3.0 | 255 | 20.1 | 239 | 18.4 |
1–29 | 1,283 | 28.4 | 393 | 27.0 | 287 | 19.8 | 219 | 13.6 | 60 | 3.0 | 277 | 18.7 | 301 | 19.9 |
≥30 | 1,989 | 46.4 | 694 | 27.6 | 503 | 19.3 | 368 | 14.4 | 83 | 2.7 | 482 | 18.8 | 520 | 20.0 |
Baseline attitude or belief | Mental health help seeking during follow-up | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Any professional (N=1,664)b | Mental health professional (N=1,163)b | General medical professional (N=918)b | Other professional (N=224)b | Prescription psychiatric medication (N=1,178)b | Psychological counseling or therapy (N=1,203)b | |||||||
AOR | 99% CI | AOR | 99% CI | AOR | 99% CI | AOR | 99% CI | AOR | 99% CI | AOR | 99% CI | |
Will go for professional help for serious emotional problem | 1.26 | 1.07–1.47** | 1.19 | .98–1.44 | 1.24 | 1.05–1.47* | 1.26 | .83–1.91 | 1.30 | 1.10–1.54** | 1.18 | 1.01–1.39* |
Comfortable talking about personal problems with a professional | 1.22 | 1.04–1.43* | 1.22 | 1.01–1.47* | 1.16 | .98–1.37 | 1.19 | .79–1.80 | 1.25 | 1.08–1.46** | 1.21 | .99–1.47 |
Embarrassed if friends knew about getting professional help | 1.03 | .89–1.19 | 1.07 | .93–1.23 | .95 | .83–1.09 | 1.08 | .84–1.38 | 1.01 | .87–1.16 | 1.05 | .89–1.25 |
What percent of people who see a professional are helped?c | .98 | .93–1.04 | .99 | .92–1.06 | .97 | .91–1.05 | .99 | .88–1.11 | .97 | .90–1.04 | .98 | .91–1.05 |
What percent of people who do not get professional help get better?c | 1.04 | .97–1.12 | 1.00 | .92–1.08 | 1.06 | .98–1.15 | 1.03 | .89–1.19 | 1.02 | .95–1.10 | 1.00 | .92–1.09 |
Difference in percent who get better with professional help versus withoutc | .97 | .92–1.02 | 1.00 | .95–1.05 | .96 | .90–1.02 | .97 | .87–1.08 | .97 | .91–1.04 | .99 | .93–1.05 |
Discussion
Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Supplementary Material
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