Jennings Kristen S, Cheung Janelle H, Britt Thomas W, Goguen Kandice N, Jeffirs Stephanie M, Peasley Allison L, Lee Abigail C
Department of Psychology, Clemson University.
Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2015 Jun;38(2):109-116. doi: 10.1037/prj0000138. Epub 2015 Apr 6.
Many college students may experience mental health problems but do not seek treatment from mental health professionals. The present study examined how perceived stigma and self-stigma toward seeking mental health treatment, as well as perceptions of self-reliance for coping with mental health problems, relate to college student treatment-seeking.
In total, 246 students completed a self-report survey that included measures of perceived stigma and self-stigma for treatment-seeking, self-reliance for addressing mental health concerns, self-reported mental health problems, symptoms of depression and alcohol-related problems, attitudes toward treatment-seeking, and treatment-seeking behavior.
Regression analyses revealed that higher perceived stigma, self-stigma, and self-reliance were all related to a more negative attitude toward treatment-seeking. In a 3-path mediation model, bootstrapping results indicated an indirect effect where perceived stigma was related to attitude toward treatment-seeking and treatment-seeking behaviors through self-stigma and self-reliance. Specifically, higher perceived stigma was related to higher self-stigma, higher self-stigma was related to higher self-reliance, and higher self-reliance was associated with a more negative attitude toward treatment-seeking in the overall sample, and a decreased probability of having sought treatment among those who screened positive for a mental health problem.
Perceived stigma may influence whether or not college students seek treatment for mental health problems by potentially increasing stigmatizing attitudes toward themselves and increasing preferences for handling problems on their own. Researchers and practitioners are recommended to seek a better understanding of the complex treatment barriers to reduce stigma and facilitate treatment-seeking.
许多大学生可能会经历心理健康问题，但却不寻求心理健康专业人员的治疗。本研究探讨了对寻求心理健康治疗的感知污名和自我污名，以及应对心理健康问题的自我依赖观念如何与大学生的治疗寻求行为相关。
共有246名学生完成了一项自我报告调查，该调查包括对寻求治疗的感知污名和自我污名、解决心理健康问题的自我依赖、自我报告的心理健康问题、抑郁症状和与酒精相关的问题、对寻求治疗的态度以及治疗寻求行为的测量。
回归分析显示，较高的感知污名、自我污名和自我依赖都与对寻求治疗的更消极态度相关。在一个三路径中介模型中，自抽样结果表明存在一种间接效应，即感知污名通过自我污名和自我依赖与对寻求治疗的态度及治疗寻求行为相关。具体而言，在总体样本中，较高的感知污名与较高的自我污名相关，较高的自我污名与较高的自我依赖相关，较高的自我依赖与对寻求治疗的更消极态度相关，并且在心理健康问题筛查呈阳性的人群中寻求治疗的可能性降低。
感知污名可能会通过潜在地增加对自身的污名化态度和增加独自处理问题的偏好，来影响大学生是否寻求心理健康问题的治疗。建议研究人员和从业者更好地理解这些复杂的治疗障碍，以减少污名并促进治疗寻求行为。
