Help Seeking (help + seeking)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Terms modified by Help Seeking

  • help seeking behaviour

  • Selected Abstracts


    The Interface Between Physical and Mental Health Problems and Medical Help Seeking in Children and Adolescents: A Research Perspective

    CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2004
    M. Elena Garralda
    This paper addresses child and adolescent psychopathology as it presents to general practitioners and paediatricians, and explores psychosocial aspects of unexplained medical symptoms in children and adolescents. High rates of psychopathology have been identified amongst children and adolescents attending general practice and paediatric services, most of it ,,hidden'' at presentation and emotional in nature. It is often linked to poor physical well being and to maternal stress focused on the child. It may be of special relevance to medical help seeking in socio-economically advantaged areas. Co-morbid psychopathology, mainly emotional disorders, is common amongst children with unexplained medical symptoms. However, there are specific psychosocial aspects that differentiate these children from those with emotional disorders. They involve disease beliefs, illness behaviour and predicament. The latter may be characterised by special reactivity to stress in children with personality vulnerability, in a context of parents with high levels of mental distress, unexplained medical symptoms and emotional over-involvement with the child. There is comparatively little interface work between CAMHS and primary health care. An important research priority would seem to lie in the development of interventions that can be adapted for use by primary care staff. Similarly, there are few dedicated CAMHS paediatric liaison teams. Their more extensive development should help attend in a more informed and focused way than at present to children and adolescents suffering from unexplained physical symptoms and disorders. Further research is needed into vulnerability mechanisms and maintaining factors, health beliefs, treatment engagement and interventions. [source]


    Help-seeking behaviour in patients with lymphoma

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 4 2008
    D.A. HOWELL
    Reducing cancer mortality is a priority for the UK Government and emphasis has been placed on introducing targets to ensure prompt diagnosis. Help seeking is the first step on the pathway to diagnosis and should occur promptly; however, patients with lymphoma take longer to seek help for symptoms than those with many other cancers. Despite this, the help seeking behaviour of these patients has not been investigated. This qualitative study examined the beliefs and actions about help seeking among 32 patients, aged 65 and over and newly diagnosed with lymphoma in West Yorkshire during 2000. Patients reported an extremely wide range of symptoms which were not always interpreted as serious or potentially caused by cancer. This, in association with a clear lack of knowledge about lymphoma, often led to help seeking being deferred. The range and characteristics of symptoms can largely be explained in terms of variations in the type, site and size of the lymphoma. The UK Government targets focus on the time after help seeking, yet for lymphoma it is also crucial to reduce the time taken to seek help. More education about the potential symptoms of this disease is needed among the general public. [source]


    Men and health help-seeking behaviour: literature review

    JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2005
    Paul M. Galdas BSc RN CertEd
    Aim., This paper reviews the key research literature regarding men's health-related help seeking behaviour. Background., There is a growing body of research in the United States to suggest that men are less likely than women to seek help from health professionals for problems as diverse as depression, substance abuse, physical disabilities and stressful life events. Previous research has revealed that the principle health related issue facing men in the UK is their reluctance to seek access to health services. Method., The investigation of men's health-related help seeking behaviour has great potential for improving both men and women's lives and reducing national health costs through the development of responsive and effective interventions. A search of the literature was conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and the Cochrane Library databases. Results., Studies comparing men and women are inadequate in explaining the processes involved in men's help seeking behaviour. However, the growing body of gender-specific studies highlights a trend of delayed help seeking when they become ill. A prominent theme among white middle class men implicates ,traditional masculine behaviour' as an explanation for delays in seeking help among men who experience illness. The reasons and processes behind this issue, however, have received limited attention. Conclusions., Principally, the role of masculine beliefs and the similarities and differences between men of differing background requires further attention, particularly given the health inequalities that exist between men of differing socio-economic status and ethnicity. Further research using heterogeneous samples is required in order to gain a greater understanding of the triggers and barriers associated with the decision making process of help seeking behaviour in men who experience illness. [source]


    Seeking help from a mental health professional: The influence of one's social network

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
    David L. Vogel
    The decision to seek psychological help may be hindered or facilitated by many factors. Two potential factors that might facilitate help seeking are having a relationship with someone (a) who recommends seeking help or (b) who themselves have sought help. In two studies (N = 780, N = 746), we explored the relationship between these factors and intentions to seek mental health services. In Study 1, being prompted to seek help and knowing someone who had sought help were both related to positive expectations about mental health services. In Study 2, being prompted to seek help and knowing someone who had sought help were related to more positive attitudes toward help seeking. Also, knowing someone who had sought help was related to the intention to seek help. Of those who sought psychological help, approximately 75% had someone recommend that they seek help and about 94% knew someone who had sought help. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 63: 233,245, 2007. [source]


    Help seeking and satisfaction among Latinas: The roles of setting, ethnic identity, and therapeutic alliance

    JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2005
    Manuel Paris Jr.
    This study explored help seeking among primary Spanish speaking women of Hispanic origin who had behavioral health needs. We evaluated relational and cultural aspects of care and service utilization by using qualitative and quantitative measures of perceived behavioral health needs, therapeutic relationships, ethnic identity and degree of acculturation, and satisfaction with services among 103 women. We explored the nature of the therapeutic relationship and satisfaction with services among Latinas who received behavioral health services at: (1) a community behavioral health center, (2) a community health center, and (3) a faith-based agency. Overall, results demonstrated that participants had strong therapeutic alliances and were satisfied with services at the three different treatment sites. Differences noted, including clinical and research implications, are also described. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 299,312, 2005. [source]


    ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Lessons from families and communities about interpersonal violence, victimization, and seeking help

    JOURNAL OF FORENSIC NURSING, Issue 3 2010
    Angela Frederick Amar PhD
    Abstract Despite significant incidence and physical and mental health consequences, most college-age women do not tell anyone about experiences of interpersonal violence. Limited research explores the sociocultural context of seeking help related to violence in young women. The overall purpose of this research was to understand socially and culturally relevant factors associated with violence help seeking in college women. Eight focus groups were held with 64 participants. Narrative analysis was the primary method of analysis. Four qualitative categories emerged from the data: "Learning from one's mother"; "We're strong women; we fight"; "We didn't talk about it"; and "Where I'm from." Findings suggest that help seeking is influenced by the messages from and experiences of mothers and extended family members. An understanding of familial and cultural determinants of help seeking is essential for relevant and effective prevention efforts. [source]


    Helping parents, protecting children: ideas from Germany

    CHILDREN & SOCIETY, Issue 5 2000
    Karen Baistow
    This paper focuses on the help-seeking process in the field of child welfare and, with a view to identifying some of the key conditions which facilitate the process, it examines the ways in which the German system responds to parental requests for help. It is based on recent comparative studies between English users of child welfare and protection services and a similar group in Germany and on discussions with German and English social workers. It is suggested we can usefully learn from the preventative services available in Germany under the Children and Young Persons Help Act (1990) which make both help seeking and help giving more straightforward. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]