Adolescent Help-Seeking for Mental Health Problems

Abstract

Help-seeking by young people for depression and alcohol use problems was investigated. High rates of psychiatric disorder exist in this population, but seeking help from others is uncommon. A series of four studies were conducted to investigate the role of several variables in the help-seeking process. Over 1200 participants, mostly aged between 16 and 18 years, completed questionnaires, or took part in focus group discussions. Help-seeking was measured as both an intention and recent behaviour. Results indicated that a combination of demographic, problem, and sociocultural variables impact upon the help-seeking process. Gender and problem type were two particularly important variables. Males reported lower rates of help-seeking compared to females. This could have been a reflection of the expectation for males to be independent and resilient. Higher rates of help-seeking intention and recent behaviour were found for depression, compared to alcohol use problems, possibly because depression was more readily seen as a genuine mental health problem. A number of biases were also found. Compared to self, participants indicated that illness symptoms were more serious, and prognosis was less favourable for others. Participants also reported that negative reactions from others were likely if help was sought. Informal sources of help (e.g., friends, family) were generally preferred over formal sources. The implications of these findings are discussed.