Year: 2012
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: OverviewHelp-negation refers to the help-avoidance or withdrawal that has been found in samples of adolescents who are currently experiencing clinical and subclinical levels of suicidal thoughts (e.g., Wilson et al. 2005a), depressive symptoms (e.g., Wilson et al. 2007), and symptoms of general psychological distress (e.g., Wilson 2010).In each study, adolescents with higher symptom levels are also those with lower intentions to seek help from health-care professionals, family, and friends, and higher intentions to seek help from no one.Consistent results have also been found among adults (see Wilson and Deane 2010, for a review).Although the determinants of help-negation are not yet known and require further research, studies among adolescents have found that, in this population, help-negation for suicidal ideation and symptoms of depression is not fully explained as a function of sex, hopelessness, a lack of prior help-seeking experiences, (Wilson et al. 2005a), a lack of current desire for help (Wilson et al. 2010), religious affiliation (Wilson et al. 2005a), the perception of poor quality prior help-seeking experiences (Wilson et al. 2007), or symptoms of cooccurring forms of psychological distress (Wilson et al. 2010).However, having lower levels of hopelessness has strengthened the help-negating effect of suicidal ideation for seeking help from family (Wilson et al. 2005a).Having higher levels of depressive symptoms also strengthened the effect for seeking help from friends, family, and no one (Wilson and Deane 2010).Beliefs about mental health treatment and the need to solve one's problems alone have been implicated in the help-negation process, but the specific role of these cognitions and how they might change for different types of psychological symptoms is still unclear (Wilson 2010; Wilson et al. 2005a, 2010).Research to date suggests that help-negation is a substantial barrier to adolescents seeking and engaging in appropriate help for suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms and symptoms of general psychological distress.Findings of help-negation raise important implications for prevention initiatives and policies, as well as treatment strategies that rely on proactively seeking, accessing and engaging in help.How successful can the initiatives be if a consequence of experiencing psychological distress, even in its very early stages of development, is a tendency to withdraw from specific helping opportunities or to avoid help altogether?In the future, identifying the determinants of help-negation and better understanding the role of affective, social, and cognitive variables in strengthening and maintaining the help-negation process among adolescents should be a research priority.Improving what one knows about help-negation at different developmental stages might make it possible to address help-avoidance early, and consequently, reduce the high prevalence of mental disorders that currently exist among adolescents the world over (Wilson and Deane 2010).
Authors: Wilson, Coralie J, Deane, Frank P
Institution: University of Wollongong
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6985893337