Help-seeking by rural residents for mental health problems: the importance of agrarian values.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the role of stoicism, self-efficacy and perceived stigma in predicting help-seeking by rural residents, for mental health problems.


METHODS
A cross-sectional community survey was conducted with a sample of 467 rural residents (58% female), who completed self-report questionnaires assessing current levels of symptomatology, disability, perceived stigma, self-efficacy, stoicism, attitudes towards and experience of seeking help for psychological problems.


RESULTS
Overall, 27.6% (n=129) of respondents had sought help from a general practitioner and/or mental halth professional for psychological problems or a mental health issue. More women than men reported having sought such help. Lifetime help-seeking for a psychological problem or mental health issue was positively associated with higher levels of distress and lower levels of stoicism and, to a lesser extent, lower levels of self-efficacy.


CONCLUSIONS
Efforts to improve help-seeking by rural residents for mental health problems should focus on understanding and addressing attitudes, such as stoicism which act as barriers to help-seeking.
Judd
Fiona
F
Centre for Rural Mental Health, Monash University School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Mediicne, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. fjudd@bendigohealth.org.au
Jackson
Henry
H
Komiti
Angela
A
Murray
Greg
G
Fraser
Caitlin
C
Grieve
Aaron
A
Gomez
Rapson
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires