Rughani Janaki, Deane Frank P, Wilson Coralie J
School of Psychology Illawarra Institute for Mental Health Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Aust J Rural Health. 2011 Apr;19(2):64-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2011.01185.x.
This study explores the factors that influence adolescents' help-seeking intentions. Specifically, the study investigates the extent to which perceived benefits of help seeking, stoicism, gender and symptoms of psychological distress are associated with intentions to seek professional help for emotional problems.
A cross sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to adolescents recruited from seven high schools in rural towns in the Riverina region of New South Wales.
A total of 778 adolescents were recruited. The sample included 373 male and 404 female participants between 13 and 18 years of age.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Participants completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire designed to measure help-seeking intentions in the advent that they were to experience emotional problems, psychological distress symptoms, perceived benefits of help seeking and stoicism.
In all, 17% of male participants and 29% of female participants reported they would be likely to seek help from doctors if they were to experience emotional problems. In total, 15% of male participants and 23% of female participants reported they would be likely to seek help from other health care professionals. Multiple regression analysis suggested that adolescents are more likely to seek help from professionals if they perceive help seeking as beneficial (t=12.91; P<0.001). Female participants reported that they were more likely to seek help than male participants (t=2.69; P=0.01).
Findings suggest that adolescents are reluctant to seek professional help if experiencing emotional problems, because they do not believe professional help seeking is beneficial. Improving adolescents' beliefs about the benefits of professional help seeking might be a key strategy for increasing their use of professional health services to address mental health problems.
本研究探讨影响青少年寻求帮助意愿的因素。具体而言，该研究调查了寻求帮助的感知益处、坚忍克己、性别以及心理困扰症状与为情绪问题寻求专业帮助的意愿之间的关联程度。
对从新南威尔士州里弗赖纳地区乡村城镇的七所高中招募的青少年进行了一项横断面自填式问卷调查。
共招募了778名青少年。样本包括373名男性和404名女性参与者，年龄在13至18岁之间。
参与者完成了一份匿名自填式问卷，旨在测量他们在遇到情绪问题、心理困扰症状、寻求帮助的感知益处和坚忍克己时寻求帮助的意愿。
总体而言，17%的男性参与者和29%的女性参与者表示，如果他们遇到情绪问题，可能会向医生寻求帮助。总计15%的男性参与者和23%的女性参与者表示，他们可能会向其他医疗保健专业人员寻求帮助。多元回归分析表明，如果青少年认为寻求帮助有益，他们更有可能向专业人员寻求帮助（t = 12.91；P < 0.001）。女性参与者表示，她们比男性参与者更有可能寻求帮助（t = 2.69；P = 0.01）。
研究结果表明，青少年在遇到情绪问题时不愿寻求专业帮助，因为他们不认为寻求专业帮助有益。改善青少年对寻求专业帮助益处的信念可能是增加他们利用专业健康服务来解决心理健康问题的关键策略。
