Impact of attitudes and suicidal ideation on adolescents' intentions to seek professional psychological help.
Few adolescents who experience significant psychological distress seek professional psychological help, a finding particularly pertinent in New Zealand which has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world. In the present study, 221 New Zealand high school students completed a questionnaire which examined the relationship between a variety of approach and avoidance factors associated with professional psychological help-seeking. Suicidal ideation, attitudes, psychological distress, treatment fears, gender and prior help-seeking were significant predictors accounting for approximately 23% of students', self-rated help-seeking intentions. Contrary to expectations, higher levels of suicidal ideation led to lower levels of help-seeking intentions for suicidal thoughts. This findings is discussed in relation to the process of help-negation which has been identified in clinical suicidal samples. The implications of these findings for interventions that increase appropriate professional psychological help-seeking in adolescents are also discussed.
Carlton
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PA
Child, Adolescent & Family Mental Health Services, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Deane
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FP
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires