Measuring barriers to help-seeking behavior in adolescents

• Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 637 - 650
• Main Authors: KUHL, J, JARKON-HORLICK, L, MORRISSEY, R. F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01-12-1997; Plenum Press; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescents; Barriers; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child psychology; Confidentiality; Constraints; Depression (Psychology); Emotional Disturbances; Emotionally Disturbed; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Help Seeking; Help Seeking Behavior; Helpseeking; High School Students; Likert Scales; Marital Status; Mental Health Programs; Methodology (Data Collection); New York; Perceptions; Physical Health; Psychological tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics. Sociometry; Questionnaires; Social psychology; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic Status; Student Attitudes; Students; Suicide; Teenagers; USA; Validity; Human; Test validation; Help seeking; Social behavior; Questionnaire; Adolescent; Psychometrics; Test reliability
• ISSN: 0047-2891; 1573-6601
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1022367807715

Constructs & validates a questionnaire to measure barriers to adolescent help-seeking behavior. When administered to 280 high school students, mean age 15.7, in Long Island, NY, the instrument was found to have good test-retest & internal reliability & adequate validity. The questionnaire shows promise in identifying (1) adolescents amenable & opposed to therapeutic intervention for emotional difficulties & (2) the most significant barriers for given populations. 3 Tables, 55 References. Adapted from the source document.