The Relationship Between Stigmatized Attitudes Toward Mental Health and Help- Seeking Propensity in the General Public, London, England

Early access to mental health services is considered important but a number of barriers cause delay or deter individuals from seeking professional help. Studies have suggested that 50%-80% of individuals in need of mental health services do not seek professional help. A gap exists in the literature regarding the relationship between stigmatized attitudes toward mental health and help-seeking behavior. This study evaluated the relationship between 3 components of stigmatized attitudes (anger, blame, and danger) held by 165 randomly selected adult members of the general public in London, England, as measured by the Attribution Questionnaire, and the relationship to help-seeking propensity, as measured by the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services. The theoretical foundation for this study was attribution theory and the theory of planned behavior as they both provided a framework for understanding and predicting these relationships. Multiple regression analysis revealed a negative relationship for both anger and blame when compared with help-seeking propensity thereby rejecting the null hypothesis. The results for danger and help-seeking propensity, however, were not statistically significant. The implications for social change include deepening the understanding of what may deter individuals from seeking professional help. Furthering knowledge in this field will provide clinicians, health policy makers, and researchers with a greater understanding of what influences help-seeking behavior and result in more effort to remove any identified barriers.