Hathorn Sarah Kate, Lochner Christine, Stein Dan J, Bantjes Jason
Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Front Psychiatry. 2021 Sep 24;12:733773. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.733773. eCollection 2021.
Many individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) delay seeking help, leading to greater illness severity, additional comorbidity, and increased functional impairment. Patterns of help-seeking for OCD have however not yet been described in South Africa, a low-and middle-income country with many health service challenges. Using the health belief model as a conceptual framework, study aims were to identify predictors of and barriers to help-seeking among South Africans with OCD. Fifty adults with OCD completed an online survey to assess (1) socio-demographic characteristics, (2) OCD symptom severity, (3) treatment barriers, (4) perceived treatment benefits, (5) self-efficacy, and (6) help-seeking intention. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to establish predictors of help-seeking intention. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the most endorsed help-seeking barriers. 42.6% of the variance in help-seeking intention was explained by the investigated constructs ( = 0.426, = 4.45 and < 0.01). Perceived treatment benefits were the only significant predictor of help-seeking intention ( = 1.37, = 5.16, and < 0.01). More than a third (36%) of the sample endorsed wanting to handle the problem independently as a significant barrier, followed by treatment concerns (26%), affordability (22%), and shame (20%). An innovative analysis of help-seeking patterns suggested that perceived treatment benefits were the only significant predictor of help-seeking intention among South African adults with OCD. Psychoeducation and mental health literacy programmes may be useful in increasing public appreciation of the benefits of OCD treatment, and in mitigating key help-seeking barriers.
许多强迫症（OCD）患者延迟寻求帮助，导致病情加重、出现更多共病以及功能障碍加剧。然而，在面临诸多医疗服务挑战的低收入和中等收入国家南非，尚未有人描述过强迫症的求助模式。本研究以健康信念模型为概念框架，旨在确定南非强迫症患者寻求帮助的预测因素和障碍。50名成年强迫症患者完成了一项在线调查，以评估（1）社会人口学特征，（2）强迫症症状严重程度，（3）治疗障碍，（4）感知到的治疗益处，（5）自我效能感，以及（6）求助意愿。采用多元线性回归分析来确定求助意愿的预测因素。使用描述性统计来确定最常被认可的求助障碍。所调查的构念解释了求助意愿中42.6%的方差（ = 0.426， = 4.45， < 0.01）。感知到的治疗益处是求助意愿的唯一显著预测因素（ = 1.37， = 5.16， < 0.01）。超过三分之一（36%）的样本认可想要独立解决问题是一个重大障碍，其次是对治疗的担忧（26%）、可承受性（22%）和羞耻感（20%）。一项对求助模式的创新性分析表明，感知到的治疗益处是南非成年强迫症患者求助意愿的唯一显著预测因素。心理教育和心理健康素养计划可能有助于提高公众对强迫症治疗益处的认识，并减轻关键的求助障碍。
