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Comparative Study
. 2024 May 15;24(1):1314.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18826-x.

Gender differences in attitudes towards psychological help-seeking among chinese medical students: a comparative analysis

Lei Qiu  1 , Hengyi Xu  2 , Yingqi Li  1 , Yonghui Zhao  3 , Qin Yang  4
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Gender differences in attitudes towards psychological help-seeking among chinese medical students: a comparative analysis

Lei Qiu et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Medical students are known to be at a greater risk of psychological disorders compared to the general population. However, their rate of help-seeking behavior is low. The purpose of this study was to explore the influencing factors of attitudes towards psychological help-seeking among Chinese medical students and to examine its gender differences.

Methods: A total of 3,453 medical students from three medical colleges in Hainan Province, China, completed anonymous questionnaires that included socio-demographic attributes, the Family APGAR Index, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20), and the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Associations between predictor variables and attitudes towards help-seeking were explored using multivariate linear regression, and regression models with interaction terms were employed to test gender difference.

Results: The mean score on ATSPPH-SF Scale was 15.04 ± 3.45, with males scoring significantly lower than females (14.34 vs. 15.64, P < 0.0001). For both male and female groups, psych knowledge, mental health status, family function and help-seeking utility perception significantly influenced attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Furthermore, having more than once psycho-help experiences was positively correlated with women's attitudes. Significant interactions were found between gender and mental health status.

Conclusion: Attitude towards seeking psychological help was relatively negative among Chinese medical students. The implementation of interventions should take into account the at-risk population, especially the males and individuals with poor mental health.

Keywords: Attitude; Chinese medical students; Help-seeking behavior; Mental health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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