MPC Member Publications

This database contains a listing of population studies publications written by MPC Members. Anyone can add a publication by an MPC student, faculty, or staff member to this database; new citations will be reviewed and approved by MPC administrators.

Full Citation

Title: Stigma and help seeking for mental health among college students.

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2009

ISSN: 1077-5587

DOI: 10.1177/1077558709335173

PMID: 19454625

Abstract: Mental illness stigma has been identified by national policy makers as an important barrier to help seeking for mental health. Using a random sample of 5,555 students from a diverse set of 13 universities, we conducted one of the first empirical studies of the association of help-seeking behavior with both perceived public stigma and people's own stigmatizing attitudes (personal stigma). There were three main findings: (a) Perceived public stigma was considerably higher than personal stigma; (b) personal stigma was higher among students with any of the following characteristics: male, younger, Asian, international, more religious, or from a poor family; and (c) personal stigma was significantly and negatively associated with measures of help seeking (perceived need and use of psychotropic medication, therapy, and nonclinical sources of support), whereas perceived stigma was not significantly associated with help seeking. These findings can help inform efforts to reduce the role of stigma as a barrier to help seeking.

Url: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19454625

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Eisenberg, Daniel; Downs, Marilyn F; Golberstein, Ezra; Zivin, Kara

Periodical (Full): Medical care research and review : MCRR

Issue: 5

Volume: 66

Pages: 522-41

Countries:

IPUMS NHGIS NAPP IHIS ATUS Terrapop