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Counseling And Mental Health Stigma Among College Students: An Examination Of Gender, Mattie Albright

Senior Honors Theses

Male perceptions of masculinity are commonly studied in the psychological world as inhibitors to seeking mental health help or counseling. This research proposal addresses the roles of gender-role conflict and self-stigma of help-seeking in how they predict the male tendency to seek help at lower rates than females. The sample being analyzed in this study will consist of male and female students in the psychology department at Liberty University. Participants will complete the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOH), the Gender-Role Conflict Scale I (GRCS-I), and the Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPHS). Results will explore which factor …

Male Collegiate Student-Athletes Masculinity And Attitudes Toward Mental Health Seeking, Jennifer L. Mayette

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The mental health and well-being of college student-athletes has recently come to the attention of the general public with the increase in current and past athletes speaking out about the stressors they faced during their collegiate careers. With this increase in attention, higher education institutions and larger athletic associations have turned towards research to identify factors that are contributing to the struggles of student-athletes. One factor that has consistently been identified as a barrier for athletes seeking help for mental health concerns is stigma. For male student-athletes in particular, perception of the stigma associated with receiving psychological help due to …

More Than An Athlete: The Impact Of Athletic Identity On African American Male Ncaa Di Collegiate Student-Athlete Help-Seeking Attitudes, Pattric Davis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A marginalized racial identity, a male gender identity, and an athletic identity have all been significantly linked to mental health seeking and attitudes. African American male collegiate student-athletes continue to use mental health resources at insufficient rates when compared to their White counterparts, even though they experience mental health impairment at comparative rates. The purpose of this study was to critically examine factors that contribute to the underutilization of mental health resources by African American collegiate NCAA DI student-athletes. At the intersection of race, gender, and athletic identity this study dives into the lived experiences of African American collegiate NCAA …

Survivors Of Sexual Violence And The Impact Of Rape Myth Internalization, Ambivalent Sexism, And Concealment On Formal Help-Seeking Behaviors: An Application Of Minority Stress Theory, Katherine R. Finkelstein

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The present study was based on the premise that facets of the minority stress theory may be used as a framework to examine the unique and pervasive social stressors cisgender female survivors encounter when seeking formal support (e.g., help-seeking) after unwanted sexual experiences (USE). The application of minority stress theory with this population suggests that cisgender female survivors face unique and hostile proximal stressors (e.g., rape myth acceptance, ambivalent sexism) that, if internalized, can impact their ability to disclose (e.g., concealment of the USE), and have deleterious effects on their mental health and help-seeking behaviors with formal support systems. The …

Gender Roles, Sexual Cognitions, And History Of Victimization: A Preliminary Model Of Reporting Behavior Among College Students, Randi Spiker, Eu Gene Chin

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Sexual cognitions that flow from gender roles and previous history of victimization are strong predictors of sexual assault victimization. Because these cognitions reside within the individual themselves, we hypothesized that these same cognitions will also be predictors of subsequent reporting behavior to formal campus supports. An online self-report survey for assessing student awareness and perception of sexual safety was administered in a random stratified sample of college students (N = 98; 78% female). Participants were shown a hypothetical vignette involving a quid pro quo sexual harassment incident involving a student and were asked to rate their likelihood of making …

A Narrative Inquiry Study Of Adult Female Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Their Journey Into Individual Counseling, Alex Houseknecht

Dissertations

The purpose of the narrative inquiry is to investigate the journey of adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in seeking out and obtaining individual counseling. The goal is to understand why survivors seek individual counseling and how the process of obtaining and utilizing counseling unfolds over time.

This qualitative study is conducted with convenience and criterion sampling selection. The participants used for the study are two adults who identify as female, aged 18 or older, who are survivors of more than one incident of CSA and are current clients of therapists in the investigator’s existing professional network. Additionally, …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Latinx And Black Communities, Carolina Zuluaga

Dissertations

This critical literature review project explored the impact of COVID-19 on Latinx and Black communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of September 28, 2022, around 16% of COVID-19 cases in the United States were among Latinx people, and 14% of cases were among Black people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Since COVID-19 began, clinicians have become more conscious of the effects of health disparities within racial and ethnic minorities, which has warranted increased advocacy by educating health and mental health providers and creating and providing resources to these communities and clinicians. The review …

Racialized Experiences Of Covid-19: Help-Seeking Patterns In Response To Racial Discrimination Among Asian American College Students, Jeeyun Lee

Student Theses

In the United States, reported anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 164% from 2020 to 2021, with New York demonstrating a difference of 223% (Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, 2021). Ample evidence suggested its deleterious emotional impact; COVID-19-associated racial discrimination was found to be significantly associated with increased levels of mental distress, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms (e.g., Hahm et al. 2021). With an aim of addressing the significant dearth of research on Asian Americans’ help-seeking behaviors in response to COVID-19-associated racism and distress, this study employed grounded theory to explore the experiences of 10 self-identified …

Beliefs About Mental Illness, Mental Health Treatment, And Anticipated Social Stigma: A Proposed Study Of Air Force Rotc Cadets, Gabrielle N. Limes

Honors Projects

The growing prevalence of mental illness within the United States Armed Forces has become a relevant topic of concern for researchers. Considering the negative attitudes that are often ascribed to those struggling with mental illness, understanding the stigmatized beliefs of those in the military is of specific interest, especially since current mental health services are reported to be ineffective. While research has investigated this issue within enlisted military populations, there is currently no research concerning military leadership positions and their subgroups such as the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). With research suggesting leadership plays a significant role in the perpetuation …

Exploring Support Seeking Behaviours Of First-Year Students To Predict Academic Performance, Easha Faisal

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Academic performance during first year is critical in determining student retention rates, later undergraduate performance, and career related prospects. Previous literature has assessed importance of predictors individually. This study combined predictors to develop a model to predict academic performance of first-year students (n = 90) based on motivated learning strategies and on-campus resource use. An online survey was created to evaluate students’ help-seeking (HS), peer learning (PL), self-efficacy (SE), perceived social support (PSS) and access to social support (SSA) and academic support (ASA) resources. Consistent with previous research, SE was the strongest predictor of academic performance. Additionally, HS, SE, ASA, …

Barriers To Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Older Adults With Chronic Diseases, Claire Adams, Eyal Gringart, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Older adults often delay seeking professional help, particularly for mental health problems. This is of great concern for older adults with chronic diseases, who are at risk of mental health declines. This study explored barriers to help-seeking among older adults with chronic diseases and identified factors that influence older adults’ perceptions of such barriers. Method: This was a cross-sectional study with 106 adults ≥ 65 years, diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and/or type 2 diabetes. Demographic variables and barriers to help-seeking were measured using self-report questionnaires. Results: The most common barriers to help-seeking were wondering whether the mental …

Adaptive And Maladaptive Coping As Mediators Of The Relationship Between Impostor Phenomenon And Help Seeking Intention, Victor Mosconi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The modern workplace and public media have reported on the influence of the impostor phenomenon (IP) on leadership mental health and workplace effectiveness. The choice of coping strategy may influence leaders’ intentions to seek psychological help. Guided by the impostor cycle model, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which adaptive and maladaptive coping mediates the relationship between IP and help-seeking intention in a convenience sample of 162 participants in leadership positions. The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale assessed strength of IP, the Brief COPE measure assessed adaptive and maladaptive coping, and the Beliefs About Psychological …

Examining Culturally Adapted, Values Based, Mental Health Stigma Reduction And Help-Seeking Messages For Asian Americans, Anna M. Ying

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Mental health stigma is a ubiquitous concern impacting help-seeking in the United States and worldwide, including in college students. Insufficient attention has been given to the cultural context of stigma and help-seeking in Asian Americans, constructs in which culture has inherent relevance. The current study was the first to develop and test the acceptability of an online culturally adapted, values-based stigma and help-seeking intervention for Asian American college students, intentionally framing the benefits of therapy and mental wellness as congruent with values-based behaviors, intending to reduce the social costs and stigma of impaired functioning. A sample of 115 East, South, …

An Interview Study Of Beliefs About Confidentiality And Attitudes Towards Disclosure Of Moral Injury In The Canadian Armed Forces, Cassidy Trahair

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Military members often encounter potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) during their service. These encounters can put them at higher risk for developing moral injury, defined as the psychological distress following morally-transgressive situations. If untreated, this can lead to negative health outcomes like depression, suicide ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the rate of help-seeking among military members experiencing mental health issues is low. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate barriers to mental health help-seeking among individuals with CAF experience, including perceived confidentiality of information, and whether PMIEs impact the decision-making process. The sample consisted of 9 individuals with CAF experience …

Factors Associated With Racial And Ethnic Minority Youths' Mental Health Help-Seeking At School, Sam Allouche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the high prevalence and associated consequences of mental health problems in youth, adolescents with these problems are often left untreated. This service gap is even greater in racial and ethnic minority youth who not only engage in treatment less frequently, but also experience far greater discrimination and systemic inequality than non-ethnic or racial minority students; factors further contributing to a need for service. Schools may provide an ideal location to treat mental health problems in youth, in part because schools eliminate structural barriers, but also because school staff have an opportunity to observe students across a range of functioning. …

Parental Help-Seeking Intentions For Childhood Adhd In Asian Indian American Parents: Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Nandini Jhawar

Theses - ALL

Background: Pediatric attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent, impairing disorder with significant public health burden. Unfortunately, there is considerable delay to treatment and a low rate of lifetime treatment contact for individuals with ADHD, especially among ethnic minorities. The Asian Indian American (AIA) population, one of the fastest growing minority populations in the United States, has been ignored completely in ADHD help-seeking research. To fill this void, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework was used to examine how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control affect help-seeking intentions for ADHD in AIAs. Method: 191 parents (53% …

The Effects Of Onlooker Gender And Restrictive Emotionality On Help-Seeking Behavior, Kassidy M. Patarino, Mia Mclaughlin, Amelia Trembath, Chris Gunderson, E. Paige Lloyd

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Endorsing traits associated with masculinity, such as restrictive emotionality (RE), may have negative implications for the health and well-being of both male and female individuals, specifically in terms of help-seeking. The current work examines whether gender of an onlooker (i.e., a coworker) impacts participants’ self-reported likelihood to seek help for a physical ailment or injury in the workplace. We also investigate if RE moderated the relationship between onlooker gender and intent to seek help. We hypothesize that participants would be more likely to seek help from a female (vs. male) coworker and this anticipated effect would be exacerbated for those …

Associations Between Problem Recognition And Help-Seeking Behavior In Mothers Of Preschoolers, Samuel T. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Preschool children are often underserved in mental healthcare. One explanation for this is that caregivers do not recognize preschoolers’ mental health difficulties as problems. While previous research has identified an association between a caregiver’s skill at accurately applying diagnostic labels and help-seeking, factors such as behavior severity, functional impairment, and caregiver stress are important to the help-seeking process as well. The current study examined associations between all these variables. Participants were 82 adult mothers of preschoolers. The participants read a series of vignettes describing preschool-aged children with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, and then answered a series of questions to assess …

Faculty Facilitation Of Help-Seeking On Campus: A Phenomenological Study, Lillian V. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An ever-increasing number of students on college campuses are experiencing distress, and not all students in need of care are being reached (Kitzrow, 2009, LeViness, et al., 2019). Faculty are one of the most valuable resources for identifying and connecting students to care (Kitzrow, 2009). Despite this, we know very little about the experiences of faculty working with students in distress. This study sought to understand those experiences, as well as identify the barriers to connecting students to care. A qualitative study using an Interpretive Phenomenology framework was conducted (Smith & Osborn, 2007, Moustakas, 1994). Four themes were interpreted from …

Barriers To Mental Health Service Use And Preferred Treatment Format Among Racial And Ethnic Minorities, Jasmine Maxwell

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

One of the most pressing concerns in mental healthcare is the limited use of mental health services across the country. Research has indicated that individuals from racial/ethnic minority groups are significantly less likely to seek mental health services, which has led many to examine specific barriers to treatment-seeking. Given research that has suggested that barriers to treatment-seeking may be structural, attitudinal, or cultural in nature, this study aimed to gain a better understanding of the relationship between these barriers and willingness to seek psychological help. Another goal of the current study was to examine the role of online therapy in …

Self-Distancing As A Persuasive Amplifier For Increasing Help-Seeking Among People With Depression, Sara M. Hollar

CGU Theses & Dissertations

People with high levels of depressive symptomatology report less favorable attitudes toward help-seeking and reduced help-seeking intentions than people with lower levels of depressive symptomatology. While some attempts to persuade people with depression to seek help have been successful, others have failed. Preliminary research using both perspective-taking and mental time-travel self-distancing writing tasks have shown potential. However, a video that asked people to think, rather than write, about help-seeking from a distanced perspective failed to increase help-seeking outcomes. This dissertation tests a new approach where participants are prompted to take a self-distanced approach while watching existing help-seeking video messages. In …

Appalachians’ Intentions To Use Online And In-Person Counseling, Jade Hollan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Appalachians face higher rates of mental health concerns, yet they are less likely to have access to quality treatment. Online counseling, counseling using videoconferencing technology, may provide a viable solution to narrow this gap. However, little is known about Appalachians’ intention to use in-person or online counseling. This study examined Appalachians’ (N = 490) intentions to use online and in-person counseling using the theoretical framework of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991). Results from structural equation modeling supported the indirect model for online and in-person counseling, where the associations between distal help-seeking factors (i.e., self-stigma, perceived stigma of …

Predictors Of Mental Health Help-Seeking In Alaska Native Communities, Jorene Volkheimer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons have been identified as a group with greater risk for transgenerational trauma; furthermore, they experience environmental, systemic, and pragmatic barriers to treatment for mental and social issues. Researchers have called for more studies of groups like AI/AN to better understand the complex social, interpersonal, and intrapersonal problems involved in accessing and using mental health services. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive relationships of demographics, transgenerational trauma, locus of control, and stigma on help-seeking and use of mental health services in the AI/AN population in a quantitative study. The developmentally based trauma …

Exploring The Role(S) Of Trait Emotional Intelligence & Personality In Help-Seeking Behaviour Among Undergraduate Students, Nikola Cuvalo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Trait emotional intelligence (EI) and the Big Five personality factors represent promising constructs in the individual differences literature that have been investigated in relation to help-seeking behaviour. This quantitative work explores the relationship between individual differences in trait EI, personality, and attitudes toward – as well as future intentions to engage in – help-seeking behaviour among undergraduate students at Western University. Stepwise regression modelling was used to determine which dimensions of personality and trait EI best predicted help-seeking outcomes and whether attitudes toward help-seeking predicted intentions to seek help from university-provided mental health sources. Resultsindicated that several individual facets of …

Stigma Towards Treatment Amongst People With Mental Illness, Haya M. Khan

Student Theses

There is evidence for the persistence of stigma towards people diagnosed with mental illness, as well as that endorsement of stigma is associated with reluctance to seek treatment. However, the process by which self-stigma impacts treatment choice amongst people with mental illness is not well understood. This study examined the impact of self-stigma on one’s decision to take medication or undergo psychotherapy; as well as the impact of stigma on choice of individual or group therapy. Surveys were administered through CloudResearch to 128 participants from the U.S, who reported a disorder diagnosed by a professional. The SSMIS-SF and ISMI-9 estimated …

The Role Of Athletic Identity In General Mental Health And Alcohol-Related Help-Seeking Intentions Of College Students, Michael Grant Young

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Young adults are vulnerable to a range of mental health concerns and tend to drink in high quantities and tend to not seek help for these concerns. Specifically, college students involved in athletics tend to have low help-seeking rates—though help-seeking research for this population is relatively limited. Athletic identity (i.e., identification with the athlete role) is a relevant construct for examining this population, however little is known about its association with help-seeking beliefs and ideas. This study examines: (1) the association between athletic identity and help-seeking intentions for both mental health and alcohol use concerns, (2) the association between …

Making Meaning Of The Family's Immigrant Experience, Distress, And Help-Seeking: A Critical Inquiry Of Mental Health Support For Second-Generation Korean Americans, Kristin Kim-Martin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Korean American community is a predominantly immigrant population with a long history of historical and cultural trauma, including the continued losses, hardships, and violence endured through the immigration process, that continues to impact the well-being and functioning of individuals and families today. Second-generation Korean Americans play critical roles in establishing and maintaining the livelihoods and security of their immigrant families; however, they have been underrepresented and under-researched within the literature on immigration and its effects on the mental health and help-seeking patterns of this population. Although there is strong evidence for the influence of culture in the intergenerational patterns …

The Effect Of Gender Roles And Priming On Mental Health Self-Stigma And Attitudes, Sarah Competiello

Honors Theses

Prior research suggests that gender roles and gender are both related to mental health self-stigma and attitudes toward help seeking. In the present study, I explored whether espousal of gender roles and priming people with mental health stigma would interact to predict levels of mental health self-stigma and attitudes toward help-seeking. I also tested whether gender moderated this relationship. Some participants were primed with fake Twitter posts that promoted mental health stigma, while others were exposed to neutral Tweets. All participants then responded to questionnaires assessing espousal of gender roles, levels of mental health self-stigma, attitudes toward help-seeking, and gender …

Assessing The Psychometric Proprieties Of The Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale–Short Form (Atspph-Sf) Among Latino Adults, Lucas Torres, Brooke E. Magnus, Natasha Suhail Najar

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The Latino population continues to underutilize mental health services at an alarming rate. The Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale–Short Form (ATSPPH-SF) is one of the most commonly used instruments to assess help-seeking attitudes. The current study sought to evaluate the factor structure and test for the presence of differential item functioning on the ATSPPH-SF with a sample of Latino adult individuals across nativity status (U.S.- vs. foreign-born), language format (English vs. Spanish), and gender. The analyses revealed two relatively independent factors named Openness to Seeking Treatment and Value and Need in Seeking Treatment. Measurement equivalence and practical implications …

Mindfulness Increases Help-Seeking By Buffering Against Self-Stigma, Sami Boomgarden

Masters Theses

Mindfulness has many psychological benefits, including less stress, improved sleep, increased resiliency, and reduced psychological distress, making it a focus of mental health research (Dvorakova et al., 2017; Mzarek, Franklin, Phillips, Baird, & Schooler, 2013; Vidico & Cherup, 2019). Mindfulness may also limit the formation of self-stigma, which comes from internalized stereotypes about oneself (Barr, Davis, Diguiseppi, Keeling, & Castro, 2019). When people experience self-stigma, they are less likely to seek help when they might need it, exacerbating current problems (Wilson, Bushnell, & Caputi, 2011). The present study explored the relationship between these three constructs of mindfulness, self-stigma, and help-seeking. …