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. 2024 Oct;31(7):1359-1377.
doi: 10.1177/10731911231220482. Epub 2023 Dec 30.

The Development and Validation of a Measure of Mental Health, Help-Seeking Beliefs in Arabic-Speaking Refugees

Natalie Mastrogiovanni  1 , Yulisha Byrow  1 , Angela Nickerson  1
Affiliations

The Development and Validation of a Measure of Mental Health, Help-Seeking Beliefs in Arabic-Speaking Refugees

Natalie Mastrogiovanni et al. Assessment. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

Despite reporting elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), refugees are less likely than other groups to seek psychological treatment. Relatively little attention has been paid to the role of negative help-seeking beliefs in influencing treatment uptake. The current study sought to develop and psychometrically validate a novel measure indexing negative help-seeking beliefs for refugees (Help-Seeking Beliefs Scale [HSBS]). In this study, 262 Arabic-speaking refugee participants completed an online survey consisting of the HSBS along with measures indexing similar constructs (self-stigma of PTSD and help-seeking, perceived stigma, negative help-seeking attitudes, and help-seeking intentions). Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure aligning with key themes identified in the literature: (a) Fear of Negative Consequences, (b) Inappropriateness, and (c) Perceived Necessity. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency, convergent validity, and predicted reduced help-seeking intentions. Results support the utility of a novel measure capturing a prominent help-seeking barrier in a population with high psychopathology and low treatment uptake.

Keywords: beliefs; help-seeking; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); refugees; stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Simple Slopes Analysis of Interaction Between HSB and PTSD Symptoms Predicting Help-Seeking Intentions. Note. HSB = help-seeking beliefs; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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