Meredith E. Coles|Shannon L. Coleman
Barriers to treatment seeking for anxiety disorders: initial data on the role of mental health literacy
Binghamton University|Binghamton University
anxiety disorders represent single largest mental health problem united states greenberg et al 1999 j clin psychiatry 60427435 rice miller 1998 br j psychiatry 17349 however individuals anxiety disorders never seek treatment henderson et al 2002 j psychiatry 47819824 mojtabai et al 2002 arch gen psychiatry 597784 roness et al 2005 acta psychiatr scand 1115158 deficits ability recognize anxiety disorders beliefs ie mental health literacy may contribute low levels help seekingsurvey data assessing mental health literacy multiple anxiety disorders depression collected 284 undergraduate students enrolled psychology courses public university united states specifically respondents presented vignettes portraying individuals experiencing various forms mental illness asked label disorder cause whether would recommend treatmentfindings showed social phobia obsessive compulsive disorder ocd associated recognition rates generally high similar depression approximately 80 contrast less half respondents labeled panic disorder generalized anxiety disorder gad correctly symptoms ocd attributed mental illness approximately 50 respondents attributions rare anxiety disorders studied 12 finally data helpseeking recommendations suggested recommendations far universal varied different anxiety disorders according perceptions causes symptomsgiven current sample welleducated young adults mental health literacy general public may even lower