Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Faculty of Arts, Psychology, and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
PLoS One. 2024 Oct 24;19(10):e0312382. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312382. eCollection 2024.
While stigma theories predict that stigma relates to negative attitudes toward seeking help, previous studies found mixed results among pedohebephilic individuals. We tested whether different stigma processes (i.e., general anticipated stigma, anticipation of negative therapist behavior upon disclosure, and internalized stigma), psychological distress, previous treatment experiences, and knowledge about psychotherapy can clarify attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help for this population. We conducted a pre-registered, online survey of English-speaking pedohebephilic individuals (N = 283, 88% male). Expected links between variables of interest and attitudes toward seeking treatment were assessed via structural equation modeling. After modification, the final model showed acceptable fit to the data, χ2 = 2170.61, df = 1462, p < .001, CFI = .905, RMSEA = .04, [.04,.05]. Internalized stigma predicted more positive attitudes toward seeking treatment. Lower anticipation of negative therapist behavior upon disclosure and higher knowledge about psychotherapy were also significant predictors of positive attitudes toward seeking treatment. General anticipated stigma did not predict attitudes toward seeking treatment. Our results suggest a complex association between different stigma processes and treatment-seeking, which differs from associations found for mental illness stigma. Specificity in our understanding of the components of stigma and how they interact with attitudes toward seeking treatment is required to tailor clinical work as well as messages around treatment services.
虽然污名理论预测污名与寻求帮助的负面态度有关，但之前的研究在恋童癖个体中发现了混合的结果。我们测试了不同的污名过程（即普遍预期污名、披露后对治疗师负面行为的预期以及内化污名）、心理困扰、先前的治疗经验以及对心理治疗的了解是否可以澄清对该人群寻求专业心理帮助的态度。我们对讲英语的恋童癖个体（N=283，88%为男性）进行了一项预先注册的在线调查。通过结构方程建模评估了感兴趣变量与寻求治疗态度之间的预期联系。经过修正，最终模型与数据的拟合度良好，χ2=2170.61，df=1462，p<.001，CFI=0.905，RMSEA=0.04，[0.04，0.05]。内化污名预测了寻求治疗的态度更为积极。披露后对治疗师负面行为的预期较低以及对心理治疗的了解程度较高也是寻求治疗态度积极的重要预测因素。普遍预期污名并不能预测寻求治疗的态度。我们的研究结果表明，不同污名过程与治疗寻求之间存在复杂的关联，这与精神疾病污名的关联不同。需要了解污名的组成部分及其与寻求治疗的态度相互作用的特异性，以调整临床工作以及围绕治疗服务的信息。
