The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study
BackgroundOnly approximately a third of people with depressive symptoms seek professional health care. Furthermore, people labelled as mentally ill may experience stigmatisation, which can impede help-seeking behaviour.AimTo examine the effects of three vignette-based interventions endorsing biopsyc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1232848/full |
| _version_ | 1797435506323095552 |
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| author | Thomas McLaren Lina-Jolien Peter Samuel Tomczyk Holger Muehlan Georg Schomerus Silke Schmidt |
| author_facet | Thomas McLaren Lina-Jolien Peter Samuel Tomczyk Holger Muehlan Georg Schomerus Silke Schmidt |
| author_sort | Thomas McLaren |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundOnly approximately a third of people with depressive symptoms seek professional health care. Furthermore, people labelled as mentally ill may experience stigmatisation, which can impede help-seeking behaviour.AimTo examine the effects of three vignette-based interventions endorsing biopsychosocial causal beliefs and strengthening self-efficacy on help-seeking intention and behaviour, as well as the predictive values of these variables and previous treatment experience.MethodA quasi-experimental online study utilising a fractioned factorial design was carried out. People were screened for depressive symptoms and their current treatment status. After baseline assessment, they were randomly allocated into one of 24 groups receiving a combination of interventional messages. Actual help-seeking behaviour was measured at follow-ups 3 and 6 months after baseline.ResultsAltogether, N = 1,368 participants were included in the final analyses and N = 983 provided data on their help-seeking behaviour within 3 to 6 months after the baseline assessment. The intention to seek help from a general practitioner or a mental health professional was significantly influenced by the interventions. However, help-seeking behaviour was not influenced by the interventions. On a conceptual level, biopsychosocial causal beliefs (β = 0.09–0.23) and self-efficacy to seek help (β = 0.16–0.25) predicted help-seeking intention. There was a negative interaction effect of both self-efficacy beliefs on intention and behaviour, which changed depending on depression severity. In all models, the intention was the main predictor of actual behaviour. Treatment experience predicted both help-seeking intention and behaviour.ConclusionBiopsychosocial causal beliefs and self-efficacy have a direct effect on help-seeking intention. Interventions should include information on how to actually seek help as a means to strengthen self-efficacy beliefs and simulate previous treatment experience. Further research is needed to investigate the respective interaction effects on intention and behaviour.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00023557, German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023557. Registered 11 December 2020. World Health Organization, Universal Trial Number: U1111–1264-9954. Registered 16 February 2021. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:49:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-241b67b3116e446a9f8e2d0b00dfd485 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:49:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-241b67b3116e446a9f8e2d0b00dfd4852023-12-01T09:25:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402023-11-011410.3389/fpsyt.2023.12328481232848The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online studyThomas McLaren0Lina-Jolien Peter1Samuel Tomczyk2Holger Muehlan3Georg Schomerus4Silke Schmidt5Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Saxony, GermanyInstitute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyInstitute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Saxony, GermanyInstitute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyBackgroundOnly approximately a third of people with depressive symptoms seek professional health care. Furthermore, people labelled as mentally ill may experience stigmatisation, which can impede help-seeking behaviour.AimTo examine the effects of three vignette-based interventions endorsing biopsychosocial causal beliefs and strengthening self-efficacy on help-seeking intention and behaviour, as well as the predictive values of these variables and previous treatment experience.MethodA quasi-experimental online study utilising a fractioned factorial design was carried out. People were screened for depressive symptoms and their current treatment status. After baseline assessment, they were randomly allocated into one of 24 groups receiving a combination of interventional messages. Actual help-seeking behaviour was measured at follow-ups 3 and 6 months after baseline.ResultsAltogether, N = 1,368 participants were included in the final analyses and N = 983 provided data on their help-seeking behaviour within 3 to 6 months after the baseline assessment. The intention to seek help from a general practitioner or a mental health professional was significantly influenced by the interventions. However, help-seeking behaviour was not influenced by the interventions. On a conceptual level, biopsychosocial causal beliefs (β = 0.09–0.23) and self-efficacy to seek help (β = 0.16–0.25) predicted help-seeking intention. There was a negative interaction effect of both self-efficacy beliefs on intention and behaviour, which changed depending on depression severity. In all models, the intention was the main predictor of actual behaviour. Treatment experience predicted both help-seeking intention and behaviour.ConclusionBiopsychosocial causal beliefs and self-efficacy have a direct effect on help-seeking intention. Interventions should include information on how to actually seek help as a means to strengthen self-efficacy beliefs and simulate previous treatment experience. Further research is needed to investigate the respective interaction effects on intention and behaviour.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00023557, German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023557. Registered 11 December 2020. World Health Organization, Universal Trial Number: U1111–1264-9954. Registered 16 February 2021.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1232848/fulldepressionhelp-seeking interventioncausal beliefsself-efficacy beliefsmental health stigmatisationquasi-experimental online-study |
| spellingShingle | Thomas McLaren Lina-Jolien Peter Samuel Tomczyk Holger Muehlan Georg Schomerus Silke Schmidt The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study Frontiers in Psychiatry depression help-seeking intervention causal beliefs self-efficacy beliefs mental health stigmatisation quasi-experimental online-study |
| title | The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study |
| title_full | The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study |
| title_fullStr | The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study |
| title_short | The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study |
| title_sort | effects of causal and self efficacy beliefs on help seeking for people with depressive complaints a quasi experimental online study |
| topic | depression help-seeking intervention causal beliefs self-efficacy beliefs mental health stigmatisation quasi-experimental online-study |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1232848/full |
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