Abstract
People's intention to seek help from a mental health professional is thought to be the proximal cause of help-seeking behavior and thus is a dependent variable frequently measured by help-seeking researchers. Using a research design that accounted for actual future help-seeking behavior, the present study documented the dimensionality, internal consistency, and predictive evidence of validity of 3 intention instruments: the Intentions to Seek Counseling Inventory (ISCI), General Help Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ), and Mental Help-Seeking Intention Scale (MHSIS). The sample was composed of 405 community-dwelling adults who self-identified as currently experiencing a mental health concern. Results provided support for the ISCI's 3-factor structure and the internal consistency of its 3 subscale scores. In contrast, the GHSQ did not demonstrate clear evidence of adequate measurement model fit or internal consistency in the present sample. Results also tentatively suggested that the 3-item MHSIS is a unidimensional instrument that produces an internally consistent total score with appropriate construct replicability. The ability of these instruments to predict who would seek help from a mental health professional in the next 3 months was also examined. The MHSIS demonstrated the strongest evidence of predictive validity (about 70% of participants were correctly classified), followed by the GHSQ and ISCI.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 394-401 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Counseling Psychology |
Volume | 65 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2018 American Psychological Association.
Keywords
- Factor analysis
- Help seeking
- Intention
- Reliability
- Validity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health