Relationship between individual characteristics, neighbourhood contexts and help-seeking intentions for mental illness.
OBJECTIVE
Encouraging help-seeking for mental illness is essential for prevention of suicide. This study examined the relationship between individual characteristics, neighbourhood contexts and help-seeking intentions for mental illness for the purpose of elucidating the role of neighbourhood in the help-seeking process.


METHODS
A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among Japanese adults aged 20-59 years in June 2014. Eligible respondents who did not have a serious health condition were included in this study (n=3308).


METHODS
Participants were asked how likely they would be to seek help from someone close to them (informal help) and medical professionals (formal help), respectively, if they were suffering from serious mental illness. Path analysis with structural equation modelling was performed to represent plausible connections between individual characteristics, neighbourhood contexts, and informal and formal help-seeking intentions.


RESULTS
The acceptable fitting model indicated that those who had a tendency to consult about everyday affairs were significantly more likely to express an informal help-seeking intention that was directly associated with a formal help-seeking intention. Those living in a communicative neighbourhood, where neighbours say hello whenever they pass each other, were significantly more likely to express informal and formal help-seeking intentions. Those living in a supportive neighbourhood, where neighbours work together to solve neighbourhood problems, were significantly more likely to express an informal help-seeking intention. Adequate health literacy was directly associated with informal and formal help-seeking intentions, along with having an indirect effect on the formal help-seeking intention through developed positive perception of professional help.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study bear out the hypothesis that neighbourhood context contributes to help-seeking intentions for mental illness. Living in a neighbourhood with a communicative atmosphere and having adequate health literacy were acknowledged as possible facilitating factors for informal and formal help-seeking for mental illness.
Department of Public Health and Environmental Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Machi
M
Suka
Center for Suicide Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
Takashi
T
Yamauchi
Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Sports and Health Science, Daito Bunka University, Saitama, Japan.
Hiroki
H
Sugimori
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
EPIDEMIOLOGY; MENTAL HEALTH; PUBLIC HEALTH