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- Title
The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study.
- Authors
McLaren, Thomas; Peter, Lina-Jolien; Tomczyk, Samuel; Muehlan, Holger; Schomerus, Georg; Schmidt, Silke
- Abstract
Background: Only approximately a third of people with depressive symptoms seek professional health care. Furthermore, people labelled as mentally ill may experience stigmatisation, which can impede help-seeking behaviour. Aim: To examine the effects of three vignette-based interventions endorsing biopsychosocial causal beliefs and strengthening self-efficacy on help-seeking intention and behaviour, as well as the predictive values of these variables and previous treatment experience. Method: A quasi-experimental online study utilising a fractioned factorial design was carried out. People were screened for depressive symptoms and their current treatment status. After baseline assessment, they were randomly allocated into one of 24 groups receiving a combination of interventional messages. Actual help-seeking behaviour was measured at follow-ups 3 and 6 months after baseline. Results: Altogether, N=1,368 participants were included in the final analyses and N= 983 provided data on their help-seeking behaviour within 3 to 6 months after the baseline assessment. The intention to seek help from a general practitioner or a mental health professional was significantly influenced by the interventions. However, help-seeking behaviour was not influenced by the interventions. On a conceptual level, biopsychosocial causal beliefs (β = 0.09–0.23) and self-efficacy to seek help (β = 0.16–0.25) predicted help-seeking intention. There was a negative interaction effect of both self-efficacy beliefs on intention and behaviour, which changed depending on depression severity. In all models, the intention was the main predictor of actual behaviour. Treatment experience predicted both help-seeking intention and behaviour. Conclusion: Biopsychosocial causal beliefs and self-efficacy have a direct effect on help-seeking intention. Interventions should include information on how to actually seek help as a means to strengthen self-efficacy beliefs and simulate previous treatment experience. Further research is needed to investigate the respective interaction effects on intention and behaviour.
- Subjects
HELP-seeking behavior; MENTAL health personnel; SELF-efficacy; FACTORIAL experiment designs; GENERAL practitioners
- Publication
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023, p1
- ISSN
1664-0640
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1232848