@article{ref1,
title="Do depression literacy, mental illness beliefs and stigma influence mental health help-seeking attitude? A cross-sectional study of secondary school and university students from B40 households in Malaysia",
journal="BMC public health",
year="2019",
author="Ibrahim, Norhayati and Amit, Noh and Shahar, Suzana and Wee, Lei-Hum and Ismail, Rozmi and Khairuddin, Rozainee and Siau, Ching Sin and Safien, Aisyah Mohd",
volume="19",
number="Suppl 4",
pages="e544-e544",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Mental illness rates among young people is high, yet the frequency of help-seeking is low, especially among those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Understanding factors influencing help-seeking, such as mental illness beliefs, stigma and literacy among B40 individuals is important, but past studies are sparse. Hence, we aimed to examine the factors associated with mental help-seeking attitude among students from the B40 income bracket. Differences in beliefs toward mental illness, stigma and help-seeking attitudes among university and secondary school students were also investigated. <br><br>METHODS: University and secondary school students from low-income households (N = 202) were involved in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed the Depression Literacy Questionnaire (D-Lit), General Help Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ), Mental Help Seeking Attitudes Scale (MHSAS), Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH), and Beliefs toward Mental Illness (BMI). <br><br>RESULTS: Mental help-seeking attitude had a significant relationship with self-stigma on seeking help (r = -.258, p < .001), general help-seeking attitude (r = .156, p = .027), and age (r = .187, p < .001). However, the strongest predictor for mental help-seeking attitude was self-stigma on seeking help (F (2,199) = 8.207, p < .001 with R<sup>2</sup> of.076). University students had better depression literacy and lower levels of self-stigma and negative beliefs toward mental illness compared to secondary school students. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Higher self-stigma and younger age were associated with negative mental help-seeking attitudes among students from low-income households. As self-stigma may be a barrier to actual mental help-seeking, efforts to reduce self-stigma in this population need to be intensified.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1471-2458",
doi="10.1186/s12889-019-6862-6",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6862-6"
}