Attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional psychological help among Chinese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mental Health Literacy and Professional Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Primary Healthcare Workers: The Mediating Role of Social Support and Mental Illness Stigma

Background

Research highlights poor mental health among healthcare workers, but limited attention has been given to the mental health literacy and professional psychological help-seeking attitudes of primary healthcare workers.This study investigates the relationship between primary healthcare workers' mental health literacy and their attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking. It also explores the chain mediating roles of social support and mental illness stigma in this relationship.

Methods

We conducted the study among primary healthcare workers in Shapingba District, Chongqing, China. The study utilized demographic questionnaires, the Multiple Mental Health Literacy Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Scale, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. We applied Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis.

Results

Correlation analysis revealed positive associations between mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes, while stigma negatively impacted these attitudes. The regression analysis demonstrated that mental health literacy, social support, and mental illness stigma significantly influenced attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking, with the adjusted R square being 0.402. Specifically, social support and stigma acted as partial mediators in the relationship between mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes. SEM confirmed a significant chain mediation effect, with social support and stigma jointly mediating the link between mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes, explaining 27.46% of the variance.

Conclusion

This study underscores the critical role of mental health literacy, social support, and mental illness stigma in shaping primary healthcare workers' attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking. Strengthening these factors can enhance their mental health outcomes and encourage more proactive help-seeking behavior. Implementing targeted interventions in training programs to reduce stigma and promote social support could improve help-seeking behaviors and overall mental health within healthcare settings.

Nursing students' attitudes and intentions towards seeking professional psychological help: the mediating role of emotional intelligence

BACKGROUND

It has been proposed that nursing students experience emotional and mental issues due to their educational demands, which influence their academic success. This study aims to explore the relationship between students' attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional psychological help and focus on exploring a mediating role of emotional intelligence.

METHODS

This study used a descriptive correlational design. A convenience sample was used to recruit 514 undergraduate nursing students in the central region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using self-administered tools from three nursing colleges. Data were analyzed using both descriptive, inferential, and structural equation modeling statistics.

RESULTS

The current study results indicate that university students had moderate positive attitudes, moderate positive intentions toward seeking help for mental health concerns, and a positive level of emotional intelligence. Attitudes toward seeking help and emotional intelligence had a significant positive relationship on professional mental help-seeking intentions. Other factors that predict students' intention to seek help include the history of consulting a mental health professional and students who were unsure of the availability of the on-campus counseling center (p <.001). Emotional intelligence has a significant mediation effect on the relationship between mental help-seeking intention and mental help-seeking attitudes toward professional psychological help.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results, students with emotional intelligence and positive attitudes toward seeking mental help were significantly correlated to their intentions of seeking professional mental help. This study proposes the importance of implementing interventional programs to increase nursing students' intentions to use the university counseling center for optimum mental health and well-being.

Attitudes and Stigma Toward Seeking Psychological Help Among the General Population of Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Background and objective Depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health conditions globally, and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 25% of people worldwide suffer from them. Serious mental diseases can cause a great deal of suffering and incapacity, lowering people's quality of life. Stigma and unfavorable attitudes toward mental illness often discourage people from seeking psychological assistance and achieving recovery from mental problems. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the attitudes of the general population of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, toward seeking psychological help, and to determine the degree to which stigma prevents individuals from seeking help. Methods An online, self-administered survey was distributed via social media platforms among the general population of Makkah between September and December 2023. Males and females over the age of 18 years living in Makkah were included. The exclusion criteria were participants who declined to participate in the study or those who were below 18 years of age. Results A total of 495 eligible participants completed the study survey. Of them, 378 (76.4%) were female, and most (390, 78.8%) were Saudi Arabian nationals. A total of 341 (68.9%) participants had symptoms of anxiety, and 319 (64.4%) had symptoms of depression. Regarding unfavorable attitudes, the scores were significantly higher among participants over 40 years of age (1.81 ± 0.46; p<0.05) and those with relatively low levels of education (1.93 ± 0.65; p<0.05). As for stigma, the scores were significantly higher among male participants (2.38 ± 0.83; p<0.05) and those with low levels of education (2.54 ± 0.8; p<0.05). Conclusion A significant negative correlation between participants' attitudes toward seeking psychological help and stigma was observed. However, in contrast, the psychological symptom scores did not significantly correlate with the participants' attitudes. Stigma scores showed significant positive correlations with depression and overall symptom scores. This research showed that stigma has a significant impact on attitudes toward help-seeking.