Abstract
Help-seeking preferences for mental health are a crucial aspect to design strategies to support adolescents in an emotionally delicate life phase. Informal help-seeking is usually preferred but little was published about preferences in different cultures, and it is not clear whether informal and formal help are mutually exclusive or whether they are part of the same overall propensity to help-seeking. In a survey of 710 students in Milan, Italy, help-seeking propensity measured through an Italian version of the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire was high, similar in males and females (mean total score 3.8, DS 0.9); few (9%) tended not to seek help. The most-preferred source of help was a friend, then father or mother, partner, psychologist and psychiatrist. 355 students (55%) reported high propensity to seek both informal and formal help; 33 (5%) would only seek formal help. Help-seeking should be promoted in itself, rather than indicating professionals and professional settings as primary sources of help.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 47-51 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health |
| Volume | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
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Keywords
- Adolescents
- Formal help
- Help-seeking
- Informal help
- Mental health
- School
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Epidemiology
Cite this
Formal and informal help-seeking for mental health problems. A survey of preferences of Italian students. / D'Avanzo, Barbara; Barbato, Angelo; Erzegovesi, Stefano; Lampertico, Letizia; Rapisarda, Filippo; Valsecchi, Lella.
In: Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, Vol. 8, 2012, p. 47-51.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Formal and informal help-seeking for mental health problems. A survey of preferences of Italian students
AU - D'Avanzo, Barbara
AU - Barbato, Angelo
AU - Erzegovesi, Stefano
AU - Lampertico, Letizia
AU - Rapisarda, Filippo
AU - Valsecchi, Lella
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Help-seeking preferences for mental health are a crucial aspect to design strategies to support adolescents in an emotionally delicate life phase. Informal help-seeking is usually preferred but little was published about preferences in different cultures, and it is not clear whether informal and formal help are mutually exclusive or whether they are part of the same overall propensity to help-seeking. In a survey of 710 students in Milan, Italy, help-seeking propensity measured through an Italian version of the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire was high, similar in males and females (mean total score 3.8, DS 0.9); few (9%) tended not to seek help. The most-preferred source of help was a friend, then father or mother, partner, psychologist and psychiatrist. 355 students (55%) reported high propensity to seek both informal and formal help; 33 (5%) would only seek formal help. Help-seeking should be promoted in itself, rather than indicating professionals and professional settings as primary sources of help.
AB - Help-seeking preferences for mental health are a crucial aspect to design strategies to support adolescents in an emotionally delicate life phase. Informal help-seeking is usually preferred but little was published about preferences in different cultures, and it is not clear whether informal and formal help are mutually exclusive or whether they are part of the same overall propensity to help-seeking. In a survey of 710 students in Milan, Italy, help-seeking propensity measured through an Italian version of the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire was high, similar in males and females (mean total score 3.8, DS 0.9); few (9%) tended not to seek help. The most-preferred source of help was a friend, then father or mother, partner, psychologist and psychiatrist. 355 students (55%) reported high propensity to seek both informal and formal help; 33 (5%) would only seek formal help. Help-seeking should be promoted in itself, rather than indicating professionals and professional settings as primary sources of help.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Formal help
KW - Help-seeking
KW - Informal help
KW - Mental health
KW - School
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84878131959&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2174/1745017901208010047
DO - 10.2174/1745017901208010047
M3 - Article
C2 - 22715343
AN - SCOPUS:84878131959
VL - 8
SP - 47
EP - 51
JO - Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health
JF - Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health
SN - 1745-0179
ER -