Factors Influencing on Mental Health Help-seeking Behavior Among Korean Women: A Path Analysis

• Published in: Archives of psychiatric nursing Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 120 - 126
• Main Authors: Saint Arnault, Denise M., Gang, Moonhee, Woo, Seoyoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-02-2018
• Subjects: Nursing
• ISSN: 0883-9417; 1532-8228
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2017.10.003

The purpose of the study was to identify factors influencing mental health help-seeking behavior among women in the community.
A cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 402 women in South Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and a path analysis by IBM SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0.
There was a significant, but weak positive correlation between perceived need and help-seeking intentions for formal mental health help (r=0.09, p<0.05). In the path analysis, significant the factors influencing help-seeking intentions were perceived need, attitude, and belief toward mental illness, and the attitude of them had the greatest effect. These factors accounted for 12.2% of the total variance, and the model fit was acceptable.
The findings of the study reveal that positive mental illness interpretation and consequence can predict mental health help-seeking behavior of women as well as the perceived need for mental health help.
•Mental disorders are common in women worldwide.•Mental health treatment dropout rates remain high in the world.•It is important for nurses and mental health provider to understand mental health help seeking behaviors of the risk group.•Sociocultural factors influenced on the help seeking for mental health service utilization for a healthy community-based sample of Korean women