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Mental Health Stigma, Self-Concealment, and Help-Seeking Attitudes among Asian American and European American College Students with No Help-Seeking Experience

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Abstract

The present study examined whether mental health stigma (i.e., negative attitudes toward people with a psychological disorder) and self-concealment are unique predictors of help-seeking attitudes in Asian American and European American college students with no history of seeking professional psychological services. The Asian American group had less favorable help-seeking attitudes overall, lower levels of stigma tolerance and interpersonal openness, greater mental health stigma, and greater self-concealment than the European American group. Mental health stigma and self-concealment were unique predictors of help-seeking attitudes overall in both groups. However, mental health stigma was not a unique predictor of recognition of need for psychotherapeutic help and confidence in mental health practitioners, the components of help-seeking attitudes theorized to be most associated with actual help-seeking behavior. Self-concealment was a unique predictor of confidence in mental health practitioners in the Asian American group, but not in the European American group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Akihiko Masuda

  2. Gannett Health Services, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Matthew S. Boone

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  1. Akihiko Masuda
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  2. Matthew S. Boone
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Correspondence to Akihiko Masuda.

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Masuda, A., Boone, M.S. Mental Health Stigma, Self-Concealment, and Help-Seeking Attitudes among Asian American and European American College Students with No Help-Seeking Experience. Int J Adv Counselling 33, 266–279 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-011-9129-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-011-9129-1

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