Date of Award

12-12-2019

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Attachment, Emotion Regulation, Help-Seeking, Mental Health, Young Adults

Supervisor

Rosanne Menna

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate predictors of both formal and informal help-seeking behaviour in young adults. In particular, the present study sought to examine predictors of help-seeking behaviours using various predictors suggested in the literature (i.e., help-seeking intentions, attachment style, emotion regulation, temperament, and distress disclosure) within the same model. Two hundred and seventeen undergraduate university students, ranging from 17 to 25 years (26 males, 191 females), completed an online survey of questionnaires assessing their attachment style, difficulties in emotion regulation, tendency to self-disclose distress to others, temperament, symptomology, and help-seeking intentions and behaviours from informal (e.g., parents, friend) and formal (e.g., psychologist, social worker) sources. Participants also provided qualitative data regarding their experiences with professional help-seeking, if they had sought help in the past year. Participants ranged in age from 17 to 25 years. A series of multiple regression analyses consistently revealed that greater intentions to seek help from formal and informal sources predicted more help-seeking behaviour. Other factors that emerged as significant predictors of more formal help-seeking behaviours included difficulties with impulse control and self-disclosure of distress to others. Content analyses of the qualitative data revealed consistent findings with the help-seeking literature, and the current study. Findings shed light on applied implications for initiatives aimed to engage young adults in help-seeking behaviours, showing that increasing intentions to seek help even by a small amount may begin to engage individuals in help-seeking.

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