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20 - Interventions to Reduce Help-Seeking Stigma for Mental Health Conditions

from Part IV - Reducing Stigma to Promote Mental Health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
Jane Sungmin Hahn ,
Lina-Jolien Peter ,
Vanessa Juergensen ,
Georg Schomerus  and
Sara Evans-Lacko
Edited by
David L. Vogel  and
Nathaniel G. Wade
David L. Vogel
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
Nathaniel G. Wade
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
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Summary

Help seeking for mental health problems is a multifaceted and dynamic process involving both formal and informal networks that has many associated barriers. One of the prominent barriers is help-seeking stigma, which is stigma associated with asking for or receiving help. This stigma can emerge even during very early stages of the development of a mental health problem, leading to delays in receiving any care or support. The aim of help-seeking interventions is to mitigate the barriers associated with help seeking. Much of the research surrounding help-seeking interventions focuses on increasing mental health literacy, and developing cognitive techniques surrounding help seeking for improving mental health and reducing stigma by applying strategies including: psychoeducation, contact, and resource sharing. Systematic reviews show that the majority of interventions target formal help seeking. Research that is more recent has highlighted the potential benefits of online help-seeking interventions due to its accessibility and cost-effectiveness. This chapter reviews the current challenges of help-seeking interventions and future direction of research.

Keywords

social stigmamental healthhelp-seeking behaviourbarriers to care
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Stigma and Mental Health , pp. 413 - 428
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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