Impact of psychological and physical health, stressful events, and social support on subsequent mental health help seeking among older adults.

Factors that influence mental health help seeking among adults 55+ years were examined prospectively. A discriminant analysis significantly differentiated between 120 older adults needing and seeking services and a comparison group of 120 older adults not needing services. Prior to having sought help, help seekers demonstrated poorer psychological well-being, reported more physical health problems, reported a higher level of unpleasant stressful events, and perceived greater deficits in the amount of social support available to them in time of need. The vast majority of these older help seekers sought help for their mental health problems from a medical doctor rather than from a mental health center or clinic or from a minister. Significantly more help seekers than nonseekers experienced stressful events involving bereavement, social and economic loss, and new physical illness.