Aim
Mental health problems are prevalent among young people in Malaysia yet access to specialist mental health care is extremely limited. More context‐specific research is needed to understand the ...factors affecting help‐seeking in youth, when mental health problems typically have first onset. We aimed to explore the attitudes of vulnerable young Malaysians regarding mental health problems including unusual psychological experiences, help‐seeking and mental health treatment.
Methods
In the present study, nine young people (aged 16–23 years) from low‐income backgrounds participated in a semi‐structured interview about their perspectives on mental health problems, unusual psychological experiences and help‐seeking.
Results
Four themes were developed using thematic analysis. “Is it that they have family problems?” reflected participants' explanatory models of mental health problems. “Maybe in Malaysia” was concerned with perceptions of Malaysian culture as both encouraging of open sharing of problems and experiences, but also potentially stigmatizing. “You have to ask for help” emphasized the importance of mental health help‐seeking despite potential stigma. “It depends on the person” addressed the challenges of engaging with psychological therapy.
Conclusions
We conclude that young people in Malaysia may hold compassionate, non‐stigmatizing views towards people experiencing mental health problems and a desire to increase their knowledge and understandings. Yet societal stigma is a perceived reputational risk that may affect mental health problem disclosure and help‐seeking. We suggest that efforts to improve mental health literacy would be valued by young Malaysians and could support reduced stigma and earlier help‐seeking.
Objective: 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.
Background
The Internet offers several new ways of developing, implementing, and disseminating evidence‐based interventions for depression.
Methods
In this paper, we narratively synthesized the ...evidence showing that Internet‐based therapies are effective in treating depression.
Results
In the past decade, a considerable number of psychological treatments have been developed for the treatment of depression and several hundreds of randomized controlled trials have been conducted, showing that these interventions are effective and that there are no major differences in effects between therapies. Several meta‐analyses show that Internet‐based treatments are also effective in depression. Direct comparisons with face‐to‐face treatments do not indicate that there are relevant differences between Internet‐based and face‐to‐face treatment formats. The challenge for the near future is to examine how these treatments can be integrated in mental health care. Major opportunities are in preventive services, primary care, specialized mental health care, and in patients with comorbid general medical disorders. New technological innovations through the smartphone, serious gaming, avatars, augmented reality, and virtual reality will give further possibilities to simplify and perhaps increase the effects of treatments.
Conclusions
The Internet offers many possibilities to increase access to evidence‐based psychological treatments of depression. New technological may further improve access and, perhaps, the effects of treatments.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global social health problem. Societal perceptions of IPV as a predominantly female issue have led to the development of research perspectives, frameworks, ...measures, and methodologies unable to capture the full scope of male victimization. Research has also been hampered by a reluctance from men to identify as victims, and many do not relate to commonly used terminology of IPV, such as domestic violence. The current study used qualitative methods to explore men's experiences of female-perpetrated IPV in Australia, defined as "boundary crossings." The sample comprised 258 men recruited using a snowball approach through social media platforms and via a monthly newsletter of an online men's health support site. The online survey containing open-ended questions focused on three areas: type of IPV experienced, help-seeking, and reporting behavior. Men reported experience of a range of physical, sexual, verbal, coercive controlling, and manipulative behaviors. Male victims noted how disclosure of abuse to family and friends was variously met with shock, support, and minimization. Participants also reported secondary abusive experiences, with police and other support services responding with ridicule, doubt, indifference, and victim arrest. The use of the term boundary crossing rather than IPV, which is commonly associated with male-against-female violence, appeared to be a useful tool for eliciting information from men who have experienced abuse.
Public Significance Statement
Research indicates male victims do not relate to common gendered terminology of IPV such as "domestic violence." Following consultation with support workers of male IPV victims in Australia, a novel approach was adopted. The term "boundary crossings" (defined as behavior that violates or restricts a person's rights) was used to explore men's experiences of female-perpetrated IPV using an online, anonymous survey with open-ended questions. Almost 50% of the respondents disclosed experiences of IPV, covering a range of physical, social, psychological, financial, and legal abuses.
Purpose
The literature on help-seeking at work has experienced significant growth in the past decades. However, our knowledge about this research domain remains fragmented and lacks sufficient ...theoretical integration. Therefore, this paper aims to comprehensively integrate the extant literature on help-seeking behavior at work and propose an overarching, organized framework to propel this field forward.
Design/methodology/approach
A state-of-the-art review and theoretical development on help-seeking at work are conducted.
Findings
First, the authors provide the conceptual clarity of its definitions, key characteristics, types and measurement techniques. Second, the authors develop a fine-grained and integrative process-based framework consisting of antecedents, proximal psychological mechanisms, subsequent influencing processes and distal outcomes to advance our understanding of seeking help in the workplace. Third, the authors offer a detailed agenda for future research to target opportunities within the field.
Originality/value
The current study is comprehensive in surveying the full body of knowledge on help-seeking at work. It uniquely provides a coherent overarching framework that organizes prior findings and channels future research. Additionally, this review paints a complete picture of what has been done and what needs to be done in the field. More research can be spurred based on our conceptual framework.
This study investigated art therapy-based self-help online tasks (ATB-SHOT) as a means to support university students during the COVID-19 lockdown by (a) measuring effectiveness on mood repair ...(Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Self-Assessment Manikin scales, pre- and postintervention) and (b) correlating outcomes with participants' personality profiles (resourced profile resilience and emotional intelligence and a vulnerability profile trait anxiety and somatic complaints). Based on data from 57 participants, findings indicate that all ATB-SHOT tasks significantly reduced negative mood and two increased positive mood and control. Participants with a vulnerability profile showed greater reduction in negative emotions. The significance of the research demonstrates that students in challenging emotional situations could benefit from ATB-SHOT tools.
Women engage in multiple strategies to cope with the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV). Prior research has focused predominantly on women’s service utilization and help seeking as individual ...acts, yet it is likely that women engage in distinct patterns of multiple help-seeking strategies to achieve safety. As such, the current article examines patterns of service-related help-seeking strategies survivors employ. This article also investigates demographic factors, relationship characteristics, and mental and physical health effects of IPV associated with patterns of help seeking. Using a web-based survey, data were collected from service-engaged adult female IPV survivors (n = 369) in the Southwest region of the United States. Latent class analysis (LCA), a person-centered analytical approach, was used to identify survivors’ patterns of help seeking. A 3-class LCA model was determined to be the best fit for the data. Among the sample, 50% of women broadly engaged formal and informal networks, 15% primarily engaged informal networks, and 35% broadly engaged networks but avoided legal systems while seeking other formal services. Findings indicated varying and significant associations between class membership and race/ethnicity, foreign-born status, number of children, IPV severity, and mental health symptoms. The findings reinforce the need for practitioners to be aware of the varied ways women choose or avoid seeking help and explore women’s preferences. Comprehensive and collaborative service networks are necessary for early detection and holistic care. Addressing structural factors is imperative for expanding the range of viable support options available to IPV survivors, particularly women of color.
ObjectivesTo understand help-seeking by male victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and their experiences of support services by systematically identifying qualitative and mixed-method studies ...and thematically synthesising their findings.DesignSystematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. Searches were conducted in 12 databases and the grey literature with no language or date restrictions. Quality appraisal of the studies was carried out using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Reviewers extracted first and second order constructs related to help-seeking, identified themes and combined them by interpretative thematic synthesis.SettingDVA experienced by male victims and defined as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse among people aged 18 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.ParticipantsMale victims of DVA.InterventionsAny intervention which provides practical and/or psychological support to male victims of DVA including but not limited to DVA-specific services, primary healthcare and sexual health clinics.Primary and secondary outcome measuresQualitative data describing help-seeking experiences and interactions with support services of male victims of domestic violenceResultsWe included twelve studies which were published between 2006 and 2017. We grouped nine themes described over two phases (a) barriers to help-seeking: fear of disclosure, challenge to masculinity, commitment to relationship, diminished confidence/despondency and invisibility/perception of services; and (b) experiences of interventions and support: initial contact, confidentiality, appropriate professional approaches and inappropriate professional approaches.ConclusionThe recent publication of the primary studies suggests a new interest in the needs of male DVA victims. We have confirmed previously identified barriers to help-seeking by male victims of DVA and provide new insight into barriers and facilitators to service provision.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016039999.
Objective
Eating disorders and depression impact youth at alarming rates, yet most adolescents do not access support. Single‐session interventions (SSIs) can reach youth in need. This pilot examines ...the acceptability and utility of a SSI designed to help adolescents improve functionality appreciation (a component of body neutrality) by focusing on valuing one's body based on the functions it performs, regardless of appearance satisfaction.
Method
Pre‐ to post‐intervention data were collected, and within‐group effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were computed, to evaluate the immediate effects of the SSI on hopelessness, functionality appreciation, and body dissatisfaction. Patterns of use, demographics, program feedback, and responses from within the SSI were collected.
Results
The SSI and all questionnaires were completed by 75 adolescents (ages: 13–17 years, 74.70% White/Caucasian, 48.00% woman/girl) who reported elevated body image and mood problems. Analyses detected significant pre–post improvements in hopelessness (dav = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.35–0.84; dz = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.51–1.02), functionality appreciation (dav = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.46–0.97; dz = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.67–1.21), and body dissatisfaction (dav = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.36–0.86; dz = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.50–1.02). The SSI was rated as highly acceptable, with a mean overall score of 4.34/5 (SD = 0.54). Qualitative feedback suggested adolescents' endorsement of body neutrality concepts, including functionality appreciation, as personally‐relevant, helpful targets for intervention.
Discussion
This evaluation supports the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of the Project Body Neutrality SSI for adolescents with body image and mood concerns.
Public Significance
Results suggest the acceptability and utility of a digital, self‐guided, single‐session intervention—Project Body Neutrality—for adolescents experiencing co‐occurring depressive symptoms and body image disturbances. Given the intervention's low cost and inherent scalability, it may be positioned to provide support to youth with limited access to traditional care.
This study investigates practices of sharing the experience of stroke on Instagram through use of the hashtag #strokesurvivor. The hashtag brings together people from different cultural backgrounds ...and professions and those who experience different kinds of healthcare and varying degrees of physical or cognitive impairment. Through a digital ethnography of #strokesurvivor, the conjunctive experiences and communicative practices of the community are reconstructed. Instagram enables specific forms of sociality and sharing, like long-term visual storytelling and influencer dynamics. Adapting to a transformed body and identity is perceived and practiced as a conjunctive experience and a struggle. A strong orientation towards a “normal life” is a recurring theme. Mourning and perseverance are put forward as two modes of coping with and adapting to a transforming body and self.
PDF
