Stigma towards mental illness, resilience, and help-seeking behaviours in undergraduate students in Hong Kong

Revealing the Obscurity of Attitudes Towards Mental Health Conditions: A Cross-Sectional Study of Attitudes Among the General Population of Iraq

BACKGROUND

Mental health conditions cause a huge burden on individuals and healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization, around 970 million individuals worldwide had a mental disorder in 2019.

AIM/QUESTION

To explore the attitudes towards mental health conditions among the Iraqi community and determine factors influencing such attitudes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1394 individuals of the Iraqi general population between December 2022 and February 2023 using a self-administered online questionnaire in Arabic, utilising convenience and snowball sampling. The data were analysed using R Statistical Software.

RESULTS

In total, 763 (54.73%) individuals had positive attitudes towards mental health conditions. The multivariate regression analysis revealed the males and age group of 46 years, and more were significantly associated with negative attitudes (p = 0.001, p = 0.045 respectively).

DISCUSSION

Individuals with mental health conditions experience stigmatising attitudes as in the Middle East jeopardising their treatment and recovery. This is the first study to address the Iraqi population's attitudes towards mental health conditions indicating overall positive attitudes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Health promotions must be conducted by educators, healthcare workers and universities to dispel the myths. Future studies with extensive sampling will help clarify the obscurity of mental health conditions in Iraq.

Mental Health Awareness: Stigma and Help-Seeking Among Portuguese College Students

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Help-seeking-that is, the attempt to attain external help for mental health, be it from formal or informal sources-can be described as an adaptive coping process. Mental illness stigma is the most frequently identified barrier that prevents students from seeking psychological help. This study analyzed college students' beliefs about mental illness and attitudes toward formal psychological help-seeking.

METHODS

Two hundred and eighty-two students from the first and third undergraduate years of Psychology, Sociology, Fashion Design, and Sports Science courses participated. The majority of the sample (75.4%) was female, while only 24.6% was male, with a mean age of 20.04 years. The scales used were the Inventory of Beliefs about Mental Illness (IBMI), the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IATSMHS), and a sociodemographic questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results revealed that females, third-year students, and Psychology students had fewer stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness and more positive attitudes towards help-seeking. Moreover, there were statistically significant differences in beliefs and attitudes in relation to psychological support and familiarity with mental illness. We also glimpsed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' mental health, and observed a change in opinions and attitudes toward mental illness during this period. Correlation analysis showed negative correlations between stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes toward seeking help. Finally, a cluster analysis identified two profiles of individuals that reflected different levels of stigma and help-seeking attitudes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study delineated two distinct groups of students, which is relevant as it allows us to trace profiles to outline more uniform intervention groups and, in turn, implement new and improved interventions that are better adapted to the specific needs of college students.

Mental health help-seeking intentions & coping strategies of Chinese international students in the United States

BACKGROUND

Chinese international students (CIS) in the United States may face unique mental health challenges that are often overlooked in discussions about mainstream college student needs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the predictors of mental health (MH) professional help-seeking intentions among CIS at a large public Midwestern university, as well as the obstacles that hinder their use of professional MH services.

METHODS

The study used quantitative and qualitative approaches to gather data on CIS' help-seeking attitudes. Quantitative analysis focused on the association between specific factors and help-seeking intentions. Qualitative coding of open-ended questions provided additional insights into obstacles and suggestions for improving mental health support.

RESULTS

The study identified several factors influencing the mental health help-seeking intentions of Chinese international students. Two primary negative predictors were a preference for emotional self-control and concerns about the questionable quality of treatment. Conversely, having previous experience with professional mental health services, both in China and the United States, was found to be a positive predictor of help-seeking intentions. Additionally, qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed further obstacles to seeking help and provided useful suggestions for enhancing mental health support for Chinese international students in college settings.

CONCLUSIONS

The study identifies key factors that influence CIS' attitudes toward seeking professional mental health services. Understanding these factors can help in developing strategies to better support the mental health of CIS in college settings.

LIMITATIONS

Several limitations must be acknowledged in this study. The cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal inferences from the data. Additionally, the sample may not be fully representative of the broader population of Chinese international students, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Self-reported data may also introduce response biases. Future research should consider longitudinal approaches and a more diverse sample to validate and expand on these findings.