Self-affirming values to increase student veterans’ intentions to seek counseling.

Abstract

Student veterans experiencing mental health concerns could benefit from seeking counseling (Rudd, Goulding, & Bryan, 2011), though they often avoid these services. Self-affirmation interventions have been developed to increase openness to health-related behaviors (Sherman & Cohen, 2006), and may also help promote psychological help-seeking intentions. This study explored whether a self-affirmation intervention increased intentions to seek counseling in a sample of 74 student veterans who had not previously sought counseling services. Participants completed pretest (Time 1) measures of distress and help seeking (i.e., self-stigma, attitudes, and intentions to seek counseling). A week later (Time 2), participants completed one of two conditions: (1) a self-affirmation intervention before viewing a psychoeducational video and brochure or (2) only the psychoeducational video and brochure before completing the same help-seeking measures as Time 1. A week after the intervention (Time 3), participants again completed the help-seeking measures. A focused longitudinal mediation model was conducted, examining the effect of the self-affirmation experimental condition on help-seeking intentions. Compared with those in the psychoeducation-only group, student veterans who completed the self-affirmation intervention reported increased intentions to seek counseling both immediately postintervention (Time 2) and a week later (Time 3). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of an online help seeking stigma-reduction intervention for military personnel.

“…For example, self-affirmation interventions, which highlight positive perceptions of the self and temporarily bolster self-worth, are thought to buffer the self-stigma threat potentially elicited by help-seeking interventions (Lannin et al, 2016). Indeed, student veterans who participated in a selfaffirmation activity before a help seeking educational intervention reported greater intentions to seek help 1 week later relative to those exposed to the educational intervention only (Seidman, Wade, Lannin, et al, 2018), despite results not indicating a reduction in self-stigma. This highlights self-affirmation as a potential way to enhance existing interventions, such as the intervention presented in the current study, and increase help-seeking despite the barrier of self-stigma.…”

Setting the stage: The effect of affirming personal values before psychotherapy intake screenings on perceptions of self-stigma and self-disclosure.

“…Fortunately, self-affirmation theory posits that reflecting on personally important values can bolster an individual’s self-worth, thus reducing the need to avoid perceived threats associated with engaging in certain behaviors (Steele, 1988). Consistent with this, studies have provided initial evidence of the utility of self-affirmation interventions in reducing important barriers to seeking help, such as self-stigma (i.e., negative self-stereotypes such as “I am weak for considering therapy”; Lannin, Guyll, Vogel, & Madon, 2013), and increasing both positive beliefs about potential personal growth from psychotherapy (Lannin, Vogel, & Heath, 2017) and intentions to seek help (Lannin et al, 2013, 2017; Seidman et al, in press).…”

“…However, support for self-affirmation interventions as a way to decrease barriers to seeking psychological help is limited to only these three studies (Lannin et al, 2013, 2017; Seidman et al, in press). Although both studies from Lannin and colleagues examined individuals experiencing at least mild distress, the authors noted the need to replicate the findings with individuals taking behavioral steps toward seeking mental health treatment (i.e., people currently presenting for an intake for psychotherapy services) because the experience of therapy-related threats may be heightened when an individual pursues professional help.…”

Personal growth initiative, mental health stigma, and intentions to seek professional psychological help: A model extension.

“…Results of structural equation modeling analyses suggested a full mediation model, in which self-stigma mediated the relationship between public stigma and attitudes, and attitudes mediated the relationship between self-stigma and intentions (Vogel et al, 2007). This model has since been replicated across time, populations, and countries (Bathje & Pryor, 2011; Seidman et al, 2018; Vogel et al, 2017).…”