Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T15:03:11.607Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

20 - Interventions to Reduce Help-Seeking Stigma for Mental Health Conditions

from Part IV - Reducing Stigma to Promote Mental Health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

David L. Vogel
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
Nathaniel G. Wade
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
Get access

Summary

Help seeking for mental health problems is a multifaceted and dynamic process involving both formal and informal networks that has many associated barriers. One of the prominent barriers is help-seeking stigma, which is stigma associated with asking for or receiving help. This stigma can emerge even during very early stages of the development of a mental health problem, leading to delays in receiving any care or support. The aim of help-seeking interventions is to mitigate the barriers associated with help seeking. Much of the research surrounding help-seeking interventions focuses on increasing mental health literacy, and developing cognitive techniques surrounding help seeking for improving mental health and reducing stigma by applying strategies including: psychoeducation, contact, and resource sharing. Systematic reviews show that the majority of interventions target formal help seeking. Research that is more recent has highlighted the potential benefits of online help-seeking interventions due to its accessibility and cost-effectiveness. This chapter reviews the current challenges of help-seeking interventions and future direction of research.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aguirre Velasco, A., Cruz, I. S. S., Billings, J., Jimenez, M., & Rowe, S. (2020). What are the barriers, facilitators and interventions targeting help-seeking behaviours for common mental health problems in adolescents? A systematic review. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), 293. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02659-0CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andersen, R. (1968). A Behavioral Model of Families’ Use of Health Services. Chicago: University of Chicago, Center for Health Administration Studies.Google Scholar
Becker, M. H. (1974). The health belief model and sick role behavior. Health Education Monographs, 2(4), 409419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Billings, D. W., Cook, R. F., Hendrickson, A., & Dove, D. C. (2008). A web-based approach to managing stress and mood disorders in the workforce. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 50(8), 960.Google Scholar
Bradley, K. L., Robinson, L. M., & Brannen, C. L. (2012). Adolescent help-seeking for psychological distress, depression, and anxiety using an Internet program. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 14(1), 2334. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623730.2012.665337CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, J. S. L., Evans-Lacko, S., Aschan, L., et al. (2014). Seeking informal and formal help for mental health problems in the community: A secondary analysis from a psychiatric morbidity survey in South London. BMC Psychiatry, 14(1), 275. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-014-0275-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burns, J., Davenport, T., Durkin, L., Luscombe, G., & Hickie, I. (2010). The Internet as a setting for mental health service utilisation by young people. The Medical journal of Australia, 192, S22–26. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39525.442674368CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheesmond, N. E., Davies, K., & Inder, K. J. (2019). Exploring the role of rurality and rural identity in mental health help-seeking behavior: A systematic qualitative review. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 43(1), 4559. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000109Google Scholar
Chu, J. T. W., Wadham, A., Jiang, Y., et al. (2019). Effect of MyTeen SMS-based mobile intervention for parents of adolescents: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 2(9), e1911120e1911120.Google Scholar
Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., et al. (2015). What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. Psychological Medicine, 45(1), 1127. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291714000129Google Scholar
Collin, P. J., Metcalf, A. T., Stephens-Reicher, J. C., et al. (2011). ReachOut.com: The role of an online service for promoting help-seeking in young people. Advances in Mental Health, 10(1), 3951. https://doi.org/10.5172/jamh.2011.10.1.39Google Scholar
Cornish, M. A., Brenner, R. E., Vogel, D. L., & Wade, N. G. (2019). Evaluation of an Online Help Seeking Stigma-Reduction Intervention for Military Personnel Educational Publishing Foundation. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000167Google Scholar
Corrigan, P. W., & Rao, D. (2012). On the self-stigma of mental illness: Stages, disclosure, and strategies for change. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 57(8), 464469. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371205700804CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis-McCabe, C., & Winthrop, A. (2010). Computerised CBT: University students experiences of using an online self-help programme. Counselling Psychology Review, 25(4), 4655.Google Scholar
Druss, B. G. (2020). Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in populations with serious mental illness. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(9), 891892. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0894CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans-Lacko, S., Brohan, E., Mojtabai, R., & Thornicroft, G. (2012). Association between public views of mental illness and self-stigma among individuals with mental illness in 14 European countries. Psychological Medicine, 42(8), 17411752. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291711002558Google Scholar
Evans-Lacko, S., Corker, E., Williams, P., Henderson, C., & Thornicroft, G. (2014). Effect of the Time to Change anti-stigma campaign on trends in mental-illness-related public stigma among the English population in 2003–13: An analysis of survey data. The Lancet Psychiatry, 1(2), 121128. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(14)70243-3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griffiths, K., Bennett, K., Walker, J., Goldsmid, S., & Bennett, A. (2016). Effectiveness of MH-Guru, a brief online mental health program for the workplace: A randomised controlled trial. Internet Interventions, 6, 2939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2016.09.004Google Scholar
Gronholm, P. C., Thornicroft, G., Laurens, K. R., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2017). Mental health-related stigma and pathways to care for people at risk of psychotic disorders or experiencing first-episode psychosis: A systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 47(11), 18671879. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717000344CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gulliver, A., Griffiths, K. M., & Christensen, H. (2010). Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: A systematic review. BMC Psychiatry, 10(1), 113. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-10-113Google Scholar
Gulliver, A., Griffiths, K. M., Christensen, H., & Brewer, J. L. (2012). A systematic review of help-seeking interventions for depression, anxiety and general psychological distress. BMC Psychiatry, 12(1), 81. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-12-81Google Scholar
Hamblen, J. L., Grubaugh, A. L., Davidson, T. M., et al. (2018). An online peer educational campaign to reduce stigma and improve help seeking in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Telemedicine and e-Health, 25(1), 4147. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2017.0305CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horgan, A., & Sweeney, J. (2010). Young students’ use of the Internet for mental health information and support. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 17(2), 117123. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2009.01497.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunt, J., & Eisenberg, D. (2010). Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior among college students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(1), 310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.08.008CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kauer, S. D., Mangan, C., & Sanci, L. (2014). Do online mental health services improve help-seeking for young people? A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(3), e66e66. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3103Google Scholar
Kitchener, B. A., & Jorm, A. F. (2004). Mental health first aid training in a workplace setting: A randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN13249129]. BMC Psychiatry, 4(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-4-23Google Scholar
Kohn, R., Saxena, S., Levav, I., & Saraceno, B. (2004). The treatment gap in mental health care. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 82(11), 858866.Google ScholarPubMed
Kummervold, P. E., Gammon, D., Bergvik, S., et al. (2002). Social support in a wired world: Use of online mental health forums in Norway. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 56(1), 5965. https://doi.org/10.1080/08039480252803945Google Scholar
Lamb, J., Bower, P., Rogers, A., Dowrick, C., & Gask, L. (2012). Access to mental health in primary care: A qualitative meta-synthesis of evidence from the experience of people from “hard to reach” groups. Health, 16(1), 76104. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459311403945CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewer, D., O’Reilly, C., Mojtabai, R., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2015). Antidepressant use in 27 European countries: Associations with sociodemographic, cultural and economic factors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 207(3), 221226. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.156786Google Scholar
Meeker, D., Cerully, J. L., Johnson, M. D., et al. (2015). SimCoach evaluation: A virtual human intervention to encourage service-member help-seeking for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. RAND Health Quarterly, 5(3), 13.Google Scholar
Michaels, P. J., López, M., Rüsch, N., & Corrigan, P. W. (2017). Constructs and concepts comprising the stigma of mental illness. Psychology, Society, & Education, 4(2), 183194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mojtabai, R., Evans-Lacko, S., Schomerus, G., & Thornicroft, G. (2016). Attitudes toward mental health help seeking as predictors of future help-seeking behavior and use of mental health treatments. Psychiatric Services, 67(6), 650657. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201500164Google Scholar
Murray, C. J. L., Aravkin, A. Y., Zheng, P., et al. (2020). Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396(10258), 12231249. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30752-2Google Scholar
Nickerson, A., Byrow, Y., Pajak, R., et al. (2020). “Tell Your Story”: A randomized controlled trial of an online intervention to reduce mental health stigma and increase help-seeking in refugee men with posttraumatic stress. Psychological Medicine, 50(5), 781792. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719000606CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Niederkrotenthaler, T., Reidenberg, D. J., Till, B., & Gould, M. S. (2014). Increasing help-seeking and referrals for individuals at risk for suicide by decreasing stigma: The role of mass media. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(3, Suppl 2), S235S243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.06.010Google Scholar
Perry, Y., Petrie, K., Buckley, H., et al. (2014). Effects of a classroom-based educational resource on adolescent mental health literacy: A cluster randomised controlled trial. Journal of Adolescence, 37(7), 11431151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.08.001Google Scholar
Pescosolido, B. A., & Boyer, C. A. (2010). Understanding the Context and Dynamic Social Processes of Mental Health Treatment (pp. 2, 420–428). Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Pescosolido, B. A., Gardner, C. B., & Lubell, K. M. (1998). How people get into mental health services: Stories of choice, coercion and “muddling through” from “first-timers.” Social Science & Medicine, 46(2), 275286. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(97)00160-3Google Scholar
Rosenstock, I. M., Strecher, V. J., & Becker, M. H. (1988). Social learning theory and the Health Belief model. Health Education Quarterly, 15(2), 175183. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019818801500203Google Scholar
Rüsch, N., Corrigan, P. W., Wassel, A., et al. (2009). Self-stigma, group identification, perceived legitimacy of discrimination and mental health service use. British Journal of Psychiatry, 195(6), 551552. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.109.067157Google Scholar
Sanci, L., Kauer, S., Thuraisingam, S., et al. (2019). Effectiveness of a mental health service navigation website (link) for young adults: Randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health, 6(10), e13189. https://doi.org/10.2196/13189Google Scholar
Savage, H., Murray, J., Hatch, S. L., et al. (2015). Exploring professional help-seeking for mental disorders. Qualitative Health Research, 26(12), 16621673. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315591483Google Scholar
Schomerus, G., Corrigan, P. W., Klauer, T., et al. (2011). Self-stigma in alcohol dependence: Consequences for drinking-refusal self-efficacy. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 114(1), 1217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.08.013Google Scholar
Schomerus, G., Matschinger, H., & Angermeyer, M. C. (2006). Preferences of the public regarding cutbacks in expenditure for patient care: Are there indications of discrimination against those with mental disorders? Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 41(5), 369377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0029-8Google Scholar
Schomerus, G., Matschinger, H., & Angermeyer, M. C. (2009). The stigma of psychiatric treatment and help-seeking intentions for depression. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 259(5), 298306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-009-0870-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schomerus, G., Stolzenburg, S., Freitag, S., et al. (2019). Stigma as a barrier to recognizing personal mental illness and seeking help: A prospective study among untreated persons with mental illness. European Archives of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, 269(4), 469479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-018-0896-0Google Scholar
Speerforck, S., & Schomerus, G. (2020). Social milieu: A relevant concept for a better understanding of stigma and help-seeking? Der Nervenarzt, 91(9), 785791. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-020-00927-8Google Scholar
Stanley, I. H., Hom, M. A., & Joiner, T. E. (2018). Modifying mental health help-seeking stigma among undergraduates with untreated psychiatric disorders: A pilot randomized trial of a novel cognitive bias modification intervention. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 103, 3342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2018.01.008Google Scholar
Stecker, T., McHugo, G., Xie, H., Whyman, K., & Jones, M. (2014). RCT of a brief phone-based CBT intervention to improve PTSD treatment utilization by returning service members. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 65(10), 12321237. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201300433Google Scholar
Stolzenburg, S., Freitag, S., Evans-Lacko, S., et al. (2017). The stigma of mental illness as a barrier to self labeling as having a mental illness. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 205(12), 903909. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmd.0000000000000756Google Scholar
Tomczyk, S., Schomerus, G., Stolzenburg, S., Muehlan, H., & Schmidt, S. (2020). Ready, willing and able? An investigation of the theory of planned behaviour in help-seeking for a community sample with current untreated depressive symptoms. Prevention Science, 21(6), 749760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-020-01099-2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tuliao, A. P., Mullet, N. D., Hawkins, L. G., et al. (2019). Examining the role of a brief online alcohol use risk feedback on accessing information about available treatment resources for alcohol issues. Addictive Behaviors, 96, 164170.Google Scholar
Xu, Z., Huang, F., Kösters, M., et al. (2018). Effectiveness of interventions to promote help-seeking for mental health problems: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 48(16), 26582667. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718001265CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yang, L. H., Link, B. G., Ben-David, S., et al. (2015). Stigma related to labels and symptoms in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Schizophrenia Research, 168(1), 915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2015.08.004Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×