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. 2023 Mar;17(3):331-334.
doi: 10.1111/eip.13358. Epub 2022 Oct 1.

Help-seeking attitudes and behaviours for mental health problems in adolescents before and during the first COVID-19 school closures in Germany

Sophia Lustig  1   2 , Julian Koenig  3   4   5   6 , Stephanie Bauer  7 , Markus Moessner  7 , Sabrina Bonnet  2 , Katja Becker  8   9 , Silke Diestelkamp  10 , Heike Eschenbeck  11 , Alisa Hiery  8 , Elisabeth Kohls  12 , Laya Lehner  11 , Christine Rummel-Kluge  12 , Rainer Thomasius  10 , Michael Kaess  2   6 ; the ProHEAD Consortium
Affiliations
Free article

Help-seeking attitudes and behaviours for mental health problems in adolescents before and during the first COVID-19 school closures in Germany

Sophia Lustig et al. Early Interv Psychiatry. 2023 Mar.
Free article

Abstract

Aim: Comparing measures of psychological wellbeing and help-seeking in youths before and within the first school closures due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic enables a better understanding of the effects the pandemic has for those seeking professional help for mental health problems.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Germany-based ProHEAD school study. Pre-lockdown and lockdown samples (n = 648) were compared regarding pupils' psychological wellbeing, help-seeking attitudes and help-seeking behaviour.

Results: Participants from the lockdown sample showed greater positive attitudes towards seeking professional help, whereas psychological wellbeing and help-seeking behaviour remained stable.

Conclusions: Possible explanations may include an increased public discourse on mental health or self-selection bias for participation during lockdown.

Keywords: COVID-19; adolescents; help-seeking attitudes; help-seeking behaviour; mental health.

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References

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