{"title":"Factors Influencing Help-seeking Behavior for Mental Health Among Distressed Young Adults: A Path Analysis Model.","authors":"Prachi Sanghvi, Priyesh Chandrashekhar, Seema Mehrotra, Manoj Kumar Sharma","doi":"10.1177/02537176241312975","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There seems to be a relationship between barriers of distress-perception and stigma to consult a mental health professional (MHP), help-seeking inclination from MHP, help negation, and encouragement from significant others (SO) to consult MHP in bringing about a change in help-seeking behavior. However, these have not been studied in tandem. This study aimed to explore the relationship between factors influencing help-seeking behavior among distressed, non-treatment-seeking young adults (D-NTS) for common mental health concerns following the <i>ReachOut</i> intervention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 109 D-NTS aged 20-35 engaged with <i>ReachOut</i> were recruited online using purposive and snowball sampling. <i>ReachOut</i> was aimed at enhancing professional help-seeking. Participants were assessed at baseline and one month post-intervention for help-seeking barriers, inclination, and encouragement from SO. Help-seeking behavior from MHP was evaluated at a two-month follow-up. Inferential statistics in the form of Spearman's rho correlation, logistic regression, and path analysis were computed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Regression analysis revealed a significant model (χ<sup>2</sup> = 34.53, <i>P</i> < .001) with an R<sup>2</sup> value of 0.52. Help-seeking inclination from MHP (B = 0.711, <i>P</i> = .037), help negation (B = -0.452, <i>P</i> = .039), and encouragement from SO to consult MHP (B = 1.942, <i>P</i> = .008) at post-assessment were significant predictors of help-seeking behavior, assessed at follow-up. The SEM hypothesized for path analysis with help-seeking behavior as the outcome was a good fit.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Help-seeking decisions are complex processes influenced by an intricate interplay of internal and external factors. A comprehensive examination of these elements simultaneously provides valuable insights for tailoring interventions and strategies aimed at enhancing help-seeking behavior in D-NTS young adults.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The intervention trial was registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN14504454).</p>","PeriodicalId":13476,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"02537176241312975"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783416/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176241312975","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: There seems to be a relationship between barriers of distress-perception and stigma to consult a mental health professional (MHP), help-seeking inclination from MHP, help negation, and encouragement from significant others (SO) to consult MHP in bringing about a change in help-seeking behavior. However, these have not been studied in tandem. This study aimed to explore the relationship between factors influencing help-seeking behavior among distressed, non-treatment-seeking young adults (D-NTS) for common mental health concerns following the ReachOut intervention.
Methods: A total of 109 D-NTS aged 20-35 engaged with ReachOut were recruited online using purposive and snowball sampling. ReachOut was aimed at enhancing professional help-seeking. Participants were assessed at baseline and one month post-intervention for help-seeking barriers, inclination, and encouragement from SO. Help-seeking behavior from MHP was evaluated at a two-month follow-up. Inferential statistics in the form of Spearman's rho correlation, logistic regression, and path analysis were computed.
Results: Regression analysis revealed a significant model (χ2 = 34.53, P < .001) with an R2 value of 0.52. Help-seeking inclination from MHP (B = 0.711, P = .037), help negation (B = -0.452, P = .039), and encouragement from SO to consult MHP (B = 1.942, P = .008) at post-assessment were significant predictors of help-seeking behavior, assessed at follow-up. The SEM hypothesized for path analysis with help-seeking behavior as the outcome was a good fit.
Conclusion: Help-seeking decisions are complex processes influenced by an intricate interplay of internal and external factors. A comprehensive examination of these elements simultaneously provides valuable insights for tailoring interventions and strategies aimed at enhancing help-seeking behavior in D-NTS young adults.
Trial registration: The intervention trial was registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN14504454).
期刊介绍：
The Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine (ISSN 0253-7176) was started in 1978 as the official publication of the Indian Psychiatric Society South Zonal Branch. The journal allows free access (Open Access) and is published Bimonthly. The Journal includes but is not limited to review articles, original research, opinions, and letters. The Editor and publisher accept no legal responsibility for any opinions, omissions or errors by the authors, nor do they approve of any product advertised within the journal.
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