College students’ barriers to seeking mental health counseling: Scale development and psychometric evaluation.

Abstract

This article reports the development and psychometric properties of the 27-item Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Counseling (BMHC) scale, which assesses perceived help-seeking barriers among college-aged students. Across 2 studies involving ethnically diverse samples (e.g., Latinx majority students), the authors provided evidence for this new measure's validity and reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (including a bifactor analysis) provided support for the BMHC scale's multidimensionality reflecting 6 barriers: Negative Perceived Value, Discomfort with Emotions, Ingroup Stigma, Lack of Knowledge, Lack of Access, and Cultural Barriers. Evidence for criterion-related validity was shown through significant but differential correlations with self-stigma, emotional control, and the 4 components of Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior model-attitude, subjective norm of social stigma, perceived behavioral control, and mental health help-seeking intention. Discriminant evidence of validity was established through nonsignificant or small correlations between BMHC subscales and 2 measures of socially desirable responding. The authors also found evidence for incremental validity and measurement invariance across race, and evidence for internal reliability and temporal stability of the BMHC subscales. Findings are discussed in light of the conceptual, methodological, and clinical contributions of the BMHC scale. Public Significance StatementThis project reports a newly developed multidimensional measure assessing six specific types of perceived barriers to seeking mental health counseling, and their associations with various criterions of help-seeking decision making among ethnically diverse college students. Findings could inform prevention, intervention, and counselor training efforts on college campuses to promote college students' psychological well-being.

Evaluation of Attitudes Towards Seeking Mental Health Services From a Cultural Perspective: Turkish Adaptation of Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Counseling Scale

“…The aim of this study is to adapt the Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Counseling Scale developed by Shea, Wong, Nguyen and Gonzalez (2019) to Turkish culture and to make validity and reliability analyzes. The Turkish translation of the scale was made by five experts with sufficient English and Turkish levels, and field of knowledge.…”

“…This research is a measurement tool adaptation study. In line with the purpose of the study, the Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Counseling Scale, developed by Shea, Wong, Nguyen and Gonzalez (2019) to determine the barriers to getting help for university students, was adapted to Turkish culture. After the scale was translated into Turkish by following the adaptation stages of a measurement tool, a linguistic equivalence study was carried out, and confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity, internal consistency, test-retest study and item analysis were carried out within the scope of validity and reliability analysis.…”

“…Since there are many factors affecting individuals' search for psychological support, there are many research and measurement tools in the current literature that examine individuals' attitudes and intentions to seek professional psychological help. While there are two measurement tools (Mansfield, Addis, and Courtenay, 2005;Shea, Wong, Nguyen, and Gonzalez, 2019) in the foreign literature for individuals' barriers to seeking psychological help, there is only one measurement tool in the Turkish literature (Topkaya, Şahin & Meydan, 2013). It is thought that the Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Counseling Scale developed by Shea, Wong, Nguyen and Gonzalez in 2019 differs from other scales with sub-dimensions such as lack of access and cultural barriers, and the item designed just to receive information about cultural definitions of the individual.…”

Adapting to transnational education: students’ experiences at an American university in the UAE

“…Studies suggest that many international students under-use counseling services and the same applies to many Arab students. This is because in many countries there is a cultural stigma of mental health problems, lack of information and access to quality care and unfamiliarity with counseling services (Shea et al, 2019;Li et al, 2013).…”

A longitudinal investigation of the efficacy of online expressive writing interventions for Hispanic students exposed to traumatic events: competing theories of action

“…Hispanic individuals are underserved for their mental health issues. Some barriers have been identified, including instrumental barriers (e.g., time, transportation) (Cardmil et al, 2007;Eisenberg, Golberstein, & Gollust, 2007) and attitudinal barriers, such as mental health stigma (Hirai, Vernon, Popan, & Clum, 2015;Shea, Wong, Nguyen, & Gonzalez, 2019). Online administrations of EW handle such barriers by offering flexible accessibility and privacy.…”