Table 3.
Treatment barriers (n = 429)
| Barriers to treatment | % | (n) |
|---|---|---|
| Stigma, shame, and discrimination barriers | ||
| I felt ashamed of my problems. | 49.9 | (214) |
| I was not comfortable discussing my problems with a health professional. | 36.6 | (157) |
| I wanted to handle it on my own. | 31.2 | (134) |
| I felt ashamed about needing help for my problem. | 28.9 | (124) |
| I worried about what people would think if they knew I was in treatment. | 21.0 | (90) |
| I would only disclose my appearance concerns, if someone specifically asked about them. a | 17.0 | (73) |
| I was afraid of being criticized by my family if I sought psychiatric help. | 10.7 | (46) |
| I was scared about being put in a hospital against my will. | 6.5 | (28) |
| Treatment satisfaction and perception barriers | ||
| I am unsure if I really need treatment. a | 28.9 | (124) |
| Only cosmetic or medical treatments can help with my problems. a | 28.2 | (121) |
| I did not think treatment would work. | 26.6 | (114) |
| Nobody would understand my problems anyway. a | 26.1 | (112) |
| I received treatment before and it did not work. | 14.5 | (62) |
| I am not ready for treatment, yet. a | 7.9 | (34) |
| I was not satisfied with the services that were available. | 7.2 | (31) |
| I do not need treatment. a | 3.3 | (14) |
| Logistic and financial barriers | ||
| I was unsure about who to see or where to go. | 28.2 | (121) |
| I was worried about how much it would cost. | 15.4 | (66) |
| I thought it would be too inconvenient or take too much time. | 12.4 | (53) |
| I had problems with transportation or scheduling. | 8.9 | (38) |
| I could not choose the provider I wanted to see. | 7.7 | (33) |
| I could not get an appointment. | 7.7 | (33) |
| Health insurance would not cover treatment. | 5.1 | (22) |
Note. a Additional items added to the original version of the Barriers to Treatment Questionnaire; Marques et al., 2010 [36])