Help-Seeking among Young People with Depressive Symptoms (1 CE)

Number of Credits: 1

This course is for: Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists

Course By: Ken Springer, PhD

Content By: Eigenhuis, E., Waumans, R. C., Muntingh, A. D. T., Westerman, M. J., van Meijel, M., Batelaan, N. M., & van Balkom, A. J. L. M. (2021). Facilitating factors and barriers in help-seeking behavior in adolescents and young adults with depressive symptoms: A qualitative study. PLoS ONE, 16(3).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247516

Course Description: The majority of depressed adolescents do not receive treatment, a problem that can be addressed in part by increasing their help-seeking behavior. The present study is the first to use qualitative interviews to examine barriers as well facilitators that influence help-seeking behaviors among adolescents and young adults currently experiencing depression. Through content analyses of semi-structured interview responses, the researchers identified five themes: First, most participants sought help due to problems with their own functioning or well-being. Second, participants' lack of knowledge about health often prevented them from seeking help. Third, participants' attitudes regarding symptoms and treatments diminished help-seeking in some cases while facilitating it in others. Fourth, participants' surroundings sometimes undermined help-seeking (e.g., when they anticipated stigmas), and sometimes facilitated it (e.g., when others reached out to them). Fifth, perceptions about the accessibility of treatment also constituted barriers in some cases and facilitators in others. The results have implications for both reducing barriers to and facilitating help-seeking behaviors among adolescents and young adults.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the need for the study as well as the methods used to identify participants and gather information from them
2. Describe the five themes related to help-seeking that emerged from participant interviews
3. Integrate the strengths and limitations of the study, and summarize the implications for promoting help-seeking behavior among young people experiencing depression

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Facilitating factors and barriers in help-seeking behavior in adolescents and young adults with depressive symptoms: A qualitative study
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Understand why and how participants were selected for the study
• Distinguish among the survey methods used to record depressive symptomatology and the qualitative interviews used to identify barriers and facilitators in help-seeking behavior
• Analyze each of the five themes that emerged from content analyses of interviews (individual functioning and well-being, health literacy, attitudes, surroundings, and accessibility)
• Integrate the study's key findings, strengths, limitations, and clinical implications
• Work through the post-test questions, using the article as the sole basis for your answers

Revisit the article for any missed questions and/or to better understand barriers and facilitators in help-seeking behaviors among young people experiencing depressive symptoms

Approvals: