Objective: Many women with mental health problems do not seek help. Despite substantial research on predictors of help seeking, little is known about factors associated with help seeking in at-risk populations (e.g., rape victims). This study examines various forms of help seeking for emotional problems in relation to key variables in a national sample of female rape victims.
Methods:We interviewed via telephone a representative sample of 3,001 women (aged 18-76 years). Those endorsing a lifetime history of rape were included in the present analyses (n=556). Demographic characteristics, rape history, rape characteristics, psychopathology, and substance abuse were assessed. Help seeking was assessed by asking if participants ever sought help, and if so, what type(s) of services were sought (medical professional, religious figure, or mental health professional).Results: Help seeking was endorsed by 60% of the sample. Final multivariable model showed that ever seeking help was positively associated with white race (OR=2.61), being single/divorced/ widowed (OR=2.30), and having PTSD (OR=3.45). Specific forms of help seeking revealed unique predictor sets.
Conclusions:Although help seeking among rape victims was high, 40% of victims did not seek services. Odds of help seeking were generally increased by the presence of a mental health disorder. Because mental health professionals were not the only types of professionals from whom rape victims sought emotional support, education and training regarding rape and associated disorders should be available to other professionals to support provision of care. Public policy should be strengthened regarding professionals' service provision, and should include reimbursement for mental health services.A growing body of literature reveals a significant imbalance between the prevalence of mental health disorders and utilization of mental health services. The Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, conducted from 1980-1985, reported that diagnosed individuals sought past-year treatment (1) and that help-seeking was more likely to occur among individuals with sexual assault histories (2). The National Comorbidity Survey, conducted from 1990-1992, estimated that only 25% of respondents with a mental health disorder received treatment within the past year (3). The National Comorbidity Survey Replication (4), conducted between 2001-2003, estimated that 41% of diagnosed respondents received past-year treatment. Taken together, these studies suggest that increases in mental health service utilization among those with mental health disorders have occurred over the past two decades, but that levels of use among those in need of care remain low.
NIH-PA Author ManuscriptA key finding of the NCS-R was that the type of disorder was associated with differential patterns of service use (4). That is, significant variability exists across populations in perceived need for treatment and it follows that determinants of help seeking may also differ by disorder. This underscores the potential va...