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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 26.
Published in final edited form as: Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2017 Sep;20(3):250–332. doi: 10.1007/s10567-017-0229-2

Table 5. Beliefs and experiences of seeking help.

Citation Sample Method General mental distress Help-seeking beliefs Relational beliefs Engagement behaviors: past or current experiences of service encounters

Behavior beliefs Perceived norm Willingness to seek professional help (agency, control beliefs, intention) Other help



DSM based Efficacy of professional help Stigma (public, self, courtesy) of seeking professional help Agency Control factors Intention Alternative healing approaches Provider-client relationship

Culturally specific Facilitating factors Barriers
Barker et al. (1983) 126 Patients at a psychiatric center Survey General X
Bonner (1984) 38 Children 6–12 years old
13% Ethnic minorities
87% Caucasian
Survey General X X X
Breda and Riemer (2012) Sample 1: 503 youths 13–15 years old and caregivers
Sample 2: 197 youth 13–15 years old and 174 caregivers
White (58%)
Survey General X X X
Britt et al. (2008) 203 Students and 3648 US Army soldiers; White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian Survey General X X
Burns and Rapee (2006) 202 Year 11 students from two private, single-sex schools Survey + vignette Depression X X
Bussing et al. (2012) 148 Adolescents
161 Parents
122 Teachers
138 Health professionals
70% + Caucasian for each category
Survey ADHD X X X
Cohen and Struening (1962) Two samples of employees (n = 541, 653) at two large VA neuropsychiatric hospitals Survey General X X X X
Cohen (1999) 81 Adults, White, Asian, and other Survey General X X X
Cooper et al. (2000) 76 Patients, 36% African American
64% White
Survey Depression X X X X X
Corrigan et al. (2015) 44 High school students, 60 high school students, 90 college students, 18 hotel desk clerks Survey + vignette General X X X
Davidson and Fristad (2006) 50 Children aged 8–11 with one of their parents, 96% Caucasian Survey General X X X
De Leon et al. (1994) 333 Adults
177 Black
83 Hispanic
70 White
3 Other race
Survey Drug use X X X
Fischer and Turner (1970) 492 Female and 468 male students Survey General X X X
Fox et al. (2013) 1300 Households with children Survey Depression, suicide X
Garratt et al. (2011) 17,080 Parents of children receiving MH care, over 94% Norwegian Survey General X
Gitlin et al. (2012) 153 Older African American senior center members Survey + vignette Depression X X X X
Givens et al. (2007) 755 Patients, equal numbers of African American and White Survey + vignette Depression X X
Golberstein et al. (2008) 2782 Undergraduate and graduate students
60% White
4% Black
23.6% Asian
3.6% Hispanic
Survey General emotional or mental problem X
Groleau et al. (2006) Original does not report Semi-structured interview General client defined Open-ended responses (probes for treatment by doctor, healer, other therapy, treatment, help or care)
Haidet et al. (2008) 16 Patients and 272 patients Survey General health and mental distress X X
Hill and Bale (1980) mental health locus of control 226 Undergraduates, 91% White Survey General X X X X
Hirai and Clum (2000) 216 Asian and American college students Survey General X X
Hoge et al. (2004) 2530 Army members
815 Marines
Survey PTSD X X X X X
Horvath and Greenberg (1989) 29 Graduate students and counselor-client dyads Survey General X X X
Johnston and Freeman (2002) 72 Mothers and 41 fathers of 7- to 12-year-old boys with ADHD Survey ADHD X X
Jorm et al. (1997) 2 Nationally representative sample of Australian adults (n = 893) and (n = 903) Survey Depression X
Kazdin et al. (1997) 260 Children and their families
63.5% White
26.9% African American
6.9% Hispanic, <3% other mixed
Survey General X X X X
King et al. (1996) 151, 29, and 14 Mothers, fathers, and children Survey General X
Komiya et al. (2000) 308-311 College students
87% Caucasian
8% African American
8% Hispanic
2% Asian American, 1% Multiracial
2% Native American
Survey General X
Kuhl et al. (1997) 280 High school students
White, Asian, Hispanic, and Black; middle-class background
Survey General X X X X X X
Kushner and Sher (1989) 92 Clinical and 501 non-clinical subjects Survey General X X X
Lee and Wong (1995) 10 Undergraduate students in Hong Kong Survey Shenjing Shuairuo X X
Link (1987) First-treatment contact patients
37.3% White, 35.8% Black, 26.9% Hispanic
Survey General X
Lloyd et al. (1998) 86 British adultsb35% White
65% British Caribbean
Semi-structured interview General Open-ended responses (probes for help-seeking behaviors and the role of the doctor/healer)
Mackenzie et al. (2004) Study 1: 206 adults, 92.7% White
Study 2: 297 undergraduate students
Study 3: 23 undergraduate students
Survey General X X X X X
McConnaughy et al. (1983) 155 Adult outpatients Survey General X X X X
Moss-Morris et al. (2002) 711 Patients diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, acute pain, myocardial infarction, multiple sclerosis, and HIV Survey General X X
Nock and Photos (2006) 76 Parents or legal guardians
60.9% European-American
26.6% African American
6.3% Hispanic, 6.3% biracial
Survey General X X X X
Norberg et al. (2011) 599 Undergraduate students
82% Caucasian
8% African American
3% Asian American, 2% Native American
2% Latino
3% Other
Survey General X X X
Pescosolido (2013) 19,508 Adults
Argentina (n = 1420)
Bangladesh (n = 1501)
Belgium (n = 1166)
Bulgaria (n = 1121)
Brazil (n = 1522)
Cyprus (n = 804)
Germany (n = 1255)
Spain (n = 1206)
Great Britain (n = 1030)
Hungary (n = 1252)
Iceland (n = 1033)
South Korea (n = 1003)
New Zealand (n = 1020)
Philippines (n = 1200)
USA (n = 1425)
South Africa (n = 1550)
Survey + vignette DSM X X X X
Raftery et al. (2010) 59 Youth patients Survey General X X X X
Rose et al. (2004) 400 Prospective jurors
43% African American
45% White
4% Hispanic
Survey General X X X
Rostain et al. (1993) 116 Families
112 Mothers, 84 fathers of boys ranging from 4 to 15 years old
Survey ADHD X X
Ruedell et al. (2009) 5 Bangladeshi and 6 White British adults Semi-structured interview General client defined Open-ended responses (probes for self-help, support from others, medication, spiritual help, herbal remedies, seeing traditional healers)
Ryan et al. (1995) 109 Consecutive admissions at outpatient alcohol and drug treatment unit (76% male, 24% female), mean age 30.5 years Survey Alcohol use, general X X X X
Scior and Furnham (2011) 114 and 1376 Participants; White British, South Asian, Black African and Caribbean, East Asian, Indian citizens Survey + vignette Intellectual disability and schizophrenia X X
Simon et al. (2006) 733 Medical patients Survey General X X
Sun et al. (2014) 535 Chinese psychiatrists, nurses, family members, and general public Survey General X X X
Taylor and Dear (1981) 375 Undergraduate students Survey General X X X
Thurston et al. (2015) 251 Parents
49% Black
51% White
Survey + vignette Anxiety ADHD, general
Tinsley et al. (1980) 446 College students Survey General X X X X
Tsang et al. 2006 108 Adults, DSM diagnosis of psychosis in Hong Kong Survey DSM X
Van der Helm et al. (2012) 264 Adolescents in Dutch secure juvenile facilities Survey General X X X X
Vogel and Wester (2003) Study 1: 209 college students
89% White
3% Black
3% Asian
2% Hispanic
3% Other
Study 2: 268 college students, 88% White
3% Black, 6% Asian
2% Hispanic
1% Other
Survey General X X
Vogel et al. (2006) Study 1: 583 students
86% White
Study 2: 470 students
92% White
Study 3: 546 students
89% White
Study 4: 217 students
88% White
Study 5: 655
91% White
Survey General X X
Weiss (1997) Not reported Semi-structured interview General (client definition) Open-ended responses (probes for family support and home remedies, practitioners, Western-styled health professionals and specialists, traditional healers)
Wilson et al. (2005) General Help Seeking 218 Youth aged 12–19 Survey General X X X
Wilson et al. (2005) Actual Help Seeking) 218 Youth aged 12–19 Survey General X
Wong et al. (2004) 125 Chinese caregivers Survey General X
Yang, et al. (2009) 90 Chinese-Americans Survey + vignette Schizophrenia, MDD, diabetes X
Yeh and Hough (1997) Parents of 1338 youths
270 African American
109 Asian Pacific Islander
372 Latino
587 White
Survey General (emotional or behavioral problems) X X X X X X