Personal growth initiative, mental health stigma, and intentions to seek professional psychological help: A model extension.

Abstract

The public and self-stigmas of seeking psychological help are well-known barriers which prevent people from seeking mental health care. However, little consideration has been given regarding if, and to what extent, there is an incremental role of personality factors on the development of a person's attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional psychological help. Thus, there is a clear gap in the theoretical and quantitative understanding of the help-seeking process. Personal growth initiative (PGI), which captures a person's ability to identify areas for change and initiate growth, is a modifiable characterological orientation that may offer novel insight into the process underlying the decision to seek mental health care, which is instrinically characterized by its momentum toward positive self-change. Therefore, the present study sought to expand upon an established model of stigma and help-seeking variables by testing the incremental and predictive utility of PGI. Using structural equation modeling among a sample of college students, 70% of whom reported clinically relevant levels of interpersonal problems, we modeled the relationships among PGI and four well-researched help-seeking variables-public stigma, self-stigma, attitudes toward mental health care, and intentions to seek mental health care-after controlling for severity of interpersonal problems. Our study provides evidence for PGI as a unique predictor of lower self-stigma and increased help-seeking intentions above and beyond the other variables in the model. We discuss potential implications and the need for further research.

Mental health of Indonesian university students: U.K. comparison and relationship between mental health shame and self-compassion.

“…The stigmatized image of mental illness damages the mental health of patients further (Rüsch et al, 2005), as it causes patients to feel powerlessness and damage their self-efficacy (Subu et al, 2021). Negative attitudes toward mental illness cause delayed detections of mental health problems as well, leading to poorer treatment outcome (Seidman et al, 2022). On the other hand, students with good mental health tended to have positive attitudes (less shame) about mental health problems.…”

Factors correlated with personal growth initiative among college students: A meta-analysis

“…In recent years, nurturing personal growth initiatives among college students has emerged as a significant concern within the realm of higher education [ 16 , 17 ]. In this era marked by diversity and progress, fostering personal growth initiatives among college students is not only essential for keeping pace with the rapidly evolving knowledge landscape, but also aims to empower them to navigate their life paths with greater determination and confidence [ 18 ].…”