Stigma about depression and its impact on help-seeking intentions

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dc.contributor.authorBarney, Lisa
dc.contributor.authorGriffiths, Kathleen
dc.contributor.authorJorm, Anthony F
dc.contributor.authorChristensen, Helen
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-07T22:41:38Z
dc.date.issued2006
dc.date.updated2015-12-07T11:03:35Z
dc.description.abstractObjective: Research has shown that people are reluctant to seek professional help for depression, especially from mental health professionals. This may be because of the impact of stigma which can involve people's own responses to depression and help-seeking (self stigma) as well as their perceptions of others' negative responses (perceived stigma). The aim of this article was to examine community help-seeking intentions and stigmatizing beliefs associated with depression. Method: A total of 1312 adults randomly sampled from the Australian community completed a questionnaire providing a depression vignette and measures of self and perceived-stigmatizing responses, source-specific help-seeking intentions, current depressive symptoms and depression experience, and demographics. Results: Many people reported they would feel embarrassed about seeking help from professionals, and believed that other people would have a negative reaction to them if they sought such help. Some expected professionals to respond negatively to them. Responses varied according to the sources of professional help. Self-embarrassment and expectations that others would respond negatively predicted the likelihood of help-seeking from professional sources. Conclusion: Self- and perceived-stigmatizing responses to help-seeking for depression are prevalent in the community and are associated with reluctance to seek professional help. Interventions should focus on minimizing expectations of negative responses from others and negative self-responses to help-seeking, and should target younger people.
dc.identifier.issn0004-8674
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/24408
dc.publisherSAGE Publications
dc.sourceAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
dc.subjectKeywords: adult; aged; article; Australia; controlled study; demography; depression; disease association; expectation; experience; female; health personnel attitude; help seeking behavior; human; human relation; male; medical research; mental health care personnel; Attitudes; Depression; Help-seeking; Stigma
dc.titleStigma about depression and its impact on help-seeking intentions
dc.typeJournal article
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage54
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage51
local.contributor.affiliationBarney, Lisa, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationGriffiths, Kathleen, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationJorm, Anthony F, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationChristensen, Helen, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.authoremailu8406985@anu.edu.au
local.contributor.authoruidBarney, Lisa, u3937529
local.contributor.authoruidGriffiths, Kathleen, u8406985
local.contributor.authoruidJorm, Anthony F, u8409322
local.contributor.authoruidChristensen, Helen, u8804902
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.absfor111714 - Mental Health
local.identifier.absseo920410 - Mental Health
local.identifier.ariespublicationU4146231xPUB32
local.identifier.citationvolume40
local.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1440-1614.2006.01741.x
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-33644782803
local.identifier.uidSubmittedByU4146231
local.type.statusPublished Version

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