The Effect of Mental Health Literacy and Social Support on Attitude towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help among Chinese Undergraduates
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/abacodijournal.2024.12Keywords:
mental health literacy, social support, social stigma, self-stigma, attitudes toward seeking psychological help, Chinese undergraduatesAbstract
The goal of this research was to explore how mental health literacy and social support influence young adult Chinese undergraduates' attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. This impact is channeled through social stigma and self-stigma. The study draws upon data collected from a cohort of 735 students enrolled in two universities situated within Sichuan Province, China. Path analysis, employing both multiple regression and the process macro technique, was applied to investigate the relationships. The results revealed positive direct impacts of mental health literacy and perceived social support on individuals' willingness to seek professional psychological assistance. Simultaneously, a direct negative correlation was observed between social stigma and self-stigma and the inclination to seek such help. It is noteworthy that self-stigma was notably and positively affected by social stigma. Additionally, both mental health literacy and social support exhibited an indirect influence on attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking, mediated through the constructs of social stigma and self-stigma. Finally, this study delves into the implications of these results.
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