A systematic review of help-seeking interventions for depression, anxiety and general psychological distress

Abstract

Background Depression and anxiety are treatable disorders, yet many people do not seek professional help. Interventions designed to improve help-seeking attitudes and increase help-seeking intentions and behaviour have been evaluated in recent times. However, there have been no systematic reviews of the efficacy or effectiveness of these interventions in promoting help-seeking. Therefore, this paper reports a systematic review of published randomised controlled trials targeting help-seeking attitudes, intentions or behaviours for depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress. Methods Studies were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane database in November 2011. Studies were included if they included a randomised controlled trial of at least one intervention targeting help-seeking for depression or anxiety or general psychological distress, and contained extractable data on help-seeking attitudes or intentions or behaviour. Studies were excluded if they focused on problems or conditions other than the target (e.g., substance use, eating disorder). Results Six published studies of randomised controlled trials investigating eight different interventions for help-seeking were identified. The majority of trials targeted young adults. Mental health literacy content was effective ( d = .12 to .53) in improving help-seeking attitudes in the majority of studies at post-intervention, but had no effect on help-seeking behaviour ( d = −.01, .02). There was less evidence for other intervention types such as efforts to destigmatise or provide help-seeking source information. Conclusions Mental health literacy interventions are a promising method for promoting positive help-seeking attitudes, but there is no evidence that it leads to help-seeking behaviour. Further research investigating the effects of interventions on attitudes, intentions, and behaviour is required.

Comparing educational interventions: Correcting misperceived norms improves college students' mental health attitudes

“…seek treatment or refer others to help, a pattern that has also been documented in prior research on help-seeking interventions (Gulliver, Griffiths, Christensen, & Brewer, 2012). It is possible that help-seeking attitudes and behaviors are indeed linked, but that the follow-up period of 2 months was merely too short to see effects on help-seeking behavior.…”

Positive Emotion Infusions: Can Savoring Increase Help‐Seeking Intentions among People with Depression?

“…television programs, advertisements in movie theaters, billboards, and brochures) have been implemented with the goal of increasing awareness, increasing accessibility to treatment, and decreasing stigma (Dumesnil & Verger, 2009;Gulliver, Griffiths, Christensen, & Brewer, 2012). Although some efforts have led to encouraging results, such as improving help-seeking attitudes (see Gulliver et al, 2012, for examples), others have had no effect (see Klimes-Dougan, Klingbeil, & Meller, 2013, for a review).…”

Men’s depression and suicide literacy: a nationally representative Canadian survey

“…For example, low levels of mental health literacy are linked to reduced knowledge about depression and suicide and reduced likelihood to engage services and/or treatment[s] (Gabriel & Violato, 2010). In turn, improving mental health literacy can increase well-being and help-seeking attitudes for depression and/or suicidal behaviors (Gulliver et al, 2012). …”