Fear of being stigmatized is the most cited reason why individuals avoid psychotherapy. Conceptually, this fear should be strongest when individuals consider the reactions of those they interact with. Across 5 samples, the authors developed the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) scale. In Sample 1 (N = 985), the 5…

It is well known that many suicidal young people avoid asking for help; however, the reasons why are less understood. A sample of 101 American Indians (age 15-21 years) who had thought about or attempted suicide was asked open-ended questions about barriers to seeking formal and informal help while suicidal. The 74 participants who avoided at…

Head lice infestation is a worldwide phenomenon that affects persons of all ages. For reasons that are not entirely clear, a number of children experience persistent head lice infestations lasting weeks, months, or years. Little is known about the impact of caring for children with persistent head lice on parents/caregivers. The purpose of this…

A significant number of calls made to Kids Help Line are seen by the organisation as not requiring counselling support, but are rather young people testing or "checking out" the service. Although the status of many of these "testing calls" is self-evident, determining the authenticity of others presents the helpline counsellors…

Asked students (n=139) seeking help at university counseling center what types of problems they experienced. Found few differences between help seekers with career concerns and those without career concerns. Compared to non-help-seeking students (n=331), significantly more help seekers with career concerns indicated worrying about emotional…

Discusses the value of support during challenges to library media materials and describes studies that show that, when assistance was received from either within or outside the district, challenged material was more likely to be retained. Considers reasons why library media specialists choose not to seek professional support. (LRW)

To construct a culturally sensitive account of barriers to help-seeking in a student population, a qualitative study was based on first-hand accounts. Participants were encouraged to explain in their own terms their behavior in seeking help from academic staff. Reasons and implications for practice are discussed. (Author/EMK)

Three teenagers with autism were taught to respond to a vibrating pager to seek assistance in community settings when physically separated from their parents or teachers. A multiple baseline probe design across participants demonstrated that, upon being paged, participants successfully handed a communication card to a community member indicating…

This article explores the experience of domestic violence and utilization of domestic violence resources among immigrant women who were Russian speaking. Participants, many of whom came to the United States as so-called mail-order brides, reported diverse forms of abuse, including isolation and financial restrictions, and were reluctant to get…

Reviews literature on the changing mental health needs of today's college students and challenges posed by both the growing number of students with serious psychological problems on campus and the increased number of student seeking counseling. Implications for students, faculty, staff, and the institution are discussed along with strategies for…

This study examined the mental health literacy of a group of adolescents, with particular reference to their ability to recognize symptoms of depression in their peers. Respondents were 202 Australian adolescents (122 males, 80 females) aged 15-17 years. Their mental health literacy was examined through a questionnaire that presented them with…

The structure of lay people's concepts of childhood mental disorder was investigated in a questionnaire study and examined for convergence with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV). Eighty-four undergraduates who had no formal education in abnormal psychology rated 54 conditions--36 DSM-IV childhood disorders and 18 non-disorders--on…

To give effective and efficient advice to laypersons, experts should adapt their explanations to the layperson's knowledge. However, experts often fail to consider the limited domain knowledge of laypersons. To support adaptation in asynchronous help desk communication, researchers provided computer experts with information about a layperson's…

There appears to be an association between substance use and pathological gambling disorders in the research. This will present concerns for clinicians in substance use treatment programs as clients present with the co-occurring disorders. This exploratory study provides descriptive information learned from calls made to a problem gambling…

The purpose of this study was to explore the help-seeking behaviour of a sample of counselling clients using a questionnaire and follow-up, semi-structured interviews with 20 counselling clients who were seen at a walk-in, affordable counselling agency located in a mid-sized city in New Zealand. Specifically, clients were asked if they had…