Bayrakçeken Esra, Alkan Ömer, Abar Hayri
Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Vocational School of Health Services, Ataturk University, Erzurum 25030, Türkiye.
Department of Econometrics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 2nd Floor, Number 222, Ataturk University, Erzurum 25030, Türkiye.
Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Oct 27;11(21):2837. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11212837.
BACKGROUND/AIM: Mental disorders constitute a significant public health concern, contributing significantly to the overall disease burden. Individuals experiencing mental distress often delay or avoid seeking psychological help or do not seek help due to varying factors. This study examines the factors affecting individuals' preferences, particularly young people, in seeking psychological help in Türkiye.
This study utilized microdata from the Türkiye Health Survey conducted by TURKSTAT in 2016 and 2019. The factors influencing decisions to consult with a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist were determined by multivariate probit regression analysis. The Türkiye Health Survey employed a stratified two-stage cluster sampling method, surveying 17,242 individuals over the age of 15 in 9470 households in 2016 and 17,084 individuals over the age of 15 in 9470 households in 2019.
The analysis findings indicated that, in the entire sample, women are more likely to seek psychological help, while younger women are less likely to do so. In the entire sample, as the education level increased, the probability of individuals receiving psychological help increased, while it decreased for young people. It was determined that people who use tobacco and alcohol are more likely to receive psychological help than others. It was also determined that individuals who perceive their health status as good, especially those who are both young and perceive their health status as good, are less likely to seek psychological help.
The significance and impact of the variables on the probability of individuals seeking psychological help vary for both the entire sample and young people. There may be various restrictions in getting psychological help, and people may resort to informal methods instead of professionals to cope with their existing problems. In developing preventive strategies to safeguard mental health, factors related to young people's and individuals' psychological help-seeking status should be prioritized, and more attention should be paid to them.
背景/目的：精神障碍是一个重大的公共卫生问题，对整体疾病负担有重大影响。经历精神困扰的个体常常因各种因素而延迟或避免寻求心理帮助，或者根本不寻求帮助。本研究考察了影响土耳其个体，尤其是年轻人寻求心理帮助偏好的因素。
本研究使用了土耳其统计局在2016年和2019年进行的土耳其健康调查的微观数据。通过多元概率回归分析确定了影响咨询心理学家、心理治疗师或精神科医生决策的因素。土耳其健康调查采用分层两阶段整群抽样方法，2016年对9470户家庭中15岁以上的17242人进行了调查，2019年对9470户家庭中15岁以上的17084人进行了调查。
分析结果表明，在整个样本中，女性更有可能寻求心理帮助，而年轻女性则不太可能这样做。在整个样本中，随着教育水平的提高，个体接受心理帮助的可能性增加，而年轻人的这一可能性则降低。研究确定，使用烟草和酒精的人比其他人更有可能接受心理帮助。还确定，认为自己健康状况良好的个体，尤其是那些既年轻又认为自己健康状况良好的人，寻求心理帮助的可能性较小。
对于整个样本和年轻人而言，这些变量对个体寻求心理帮助可能性的重要性和影响各不相同。在获得心理帮助方面可能存在各种限制，人们可能会采用非正式方法而非专业方法来应对现有问题。在制定维护心理健康的预防策略时，应优先考虑与年轻人和个体心理求助状况相关的因素，并给予更多关注。
