Change is needed to increase mental health help-seeking among chronically ill older adults.
Although chronically ill older adults (aged 65+ years) are at greater risk of mental health declines relative to their physically healthy peers, they underutilise mental health-related services.
Researchers investigated intentions to seek professional mental health support in this population in Australia. The aim was to facilitate early intervention and enhance help-seeking intentions. Participants (N = 108) provided demographic and health-related information, completed self-report measures of mental and physical health, and attitudinal and belief-based factors related to help-seeking based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).
Most participants reported some intention to seek professional mental health support, yet 41 per cent stated they would not. Attitudes, norms and perceived ability to seek help had the greatest influence on help-seeking intentions, beyond mental and physical health status, explaining 69.7 per cent of the variance in intentions.
Participants reported a high perceived ability to seek help, therefore, congruent with the TPB, promoting favourable attitudes towards mental health help-seeking among chronically ill older adults is likely to enhance their help-seeking intentions and behaviour.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1952850
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