Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes and Barriers to Help-Seeking in Young People in Turkey

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This qualitative research sought to understand the needs of Turkish university students related to adjustment to university, the sources they seek help from, their attitudes about and barriers to psychological help-seeking. Data analysis of interview transcriptions from 15 undergraduates identified several themes. Interpersonal problems, difficulties with staff and authority and future concerns were the most frequent issues. Students preferred informal sources of help in dealing with problems and in the main did not seek psychological help when confronted with problems. Perceiving one’s problems as manageable and having an unwillingness to disclose oneself to others were among the barriers to help-seeking. Students were also unwilling to seek help from a professional unless the problem seemed crucial.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Addis, M., & Mahalik, J. (2003). Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking. The American Psychologist, 58, 5–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Darmaki, F. R. (2003). Attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help: what really counts for United Arab Emirates University students? Social Behavior and Personality, 31(5), 497–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arthur, N., & Hiebert, B. (1996). Coping with the transition to post-secondary education. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 30(2), 93–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S. E. (1992). Modelling cognitive adaptation: a longitudinal investigation of the impact of individual differences and coping on college adjustment and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 989–1003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, D. R. (1985). A meta-review of research on cross-cultural counseling and psychotherapy. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 13, 138–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barksdale, C. L., & Molock, S. D. (2008). Perceived norms and mental health help seeking among African American college students. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 36, 285–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boldero, J., & Fallon, B. (1995). Adolescent help-seeking: what do they get help for and from whom? Journal of Adolescence, 18, 193–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, K. M. (1999). Psychological antecedents to help-seeking behavior: a reanalysis using path modeling structures. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 46, 381–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daugherty, T. K., & Lane, E. J. (1999). A longitudinal study of academic and social predictors of college attrition. Social Behaviour and Personality, 27, 355–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demir, A., & Aydın, G. (1997). Student counseling in Turkish universities. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 18, 287–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doğan, S. (1998). Counseling in Turkey: current status and future challenges. Education Policy Analysis, 6, 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doğan, S. (2000). The historical development of counseling in Turkey. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 22, 57–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunkel-Schetter, C., & Lobel, M. (1990). Stress among students. In H. L. Pruett, C. Crego, & V. B. Brown (Eds.), New directions for student services: Vol. 49. Crisis intervention and prevention (pp. 17–34). New York: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebata, A. T., & Moos, R. H. (1994). Personal and situational correlates of coping in adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 4, 99–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Islam, M. F. (1982). Overview: Arabic cultural psychiatry. Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review, 19, 5–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. (1985). If it changes, it must be a process: study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 150–170.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1996). A replication study of the structure of the Adolescent Coping Scale: multiple forms and applications of a self-report inventory in a counselling and research context. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 12, 224–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gloria, A. M., Hird, J. S., & Navarro, R. L. (2001). Relationships of cultural congruity and perceptions of the university environment to help-seeking attitudes by sociorace and gender. Journal of College Student Development, 42, 545–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gourash, N. (1978). Help seeking: a review of the literature. American Journal of Community Psychology, 6, 413–423.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Güneri, O. (2006). Counseling services in Turkish university. International Journal of Mental Health, 35(1), 26–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Güneri, O., Aydın, G., & Skovholt, T. (2003). Counseling needs of students and evaluation of counseling services at a large urban university in Turkey. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 25, 53–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halamandaris, K. F., & Power, K. G. (1999). Individual differences, social support and coping with the examination stress: a study of the psychosocial and academic adjustment of first year home students. Personality and Individual Differences, 26, 665–685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatfield, B., Mohamad, H., Rahim, Z., & Tanweer, H. (1996). Mental health and the Asian communities: a local survey. British Journal of Social Work, 26, 315–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helman, C. (1990). Culture, health and illness. London: Wright.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, C. E., Thompson, B. J., & Williams, E. N. (1997). A guide to conducting consensual qualitative research. The Counseling Psychologist, 25(4), 517–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holahan, C. J., Valentiner, D. P., & Moos, R. H. (1995). Parental support, coping strategies, and psychological adjustment: an integrative model with late adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24, 633–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • İmamoğlu, E. O. (1987). An interdependence model of human development. In Ç. Kagitcibasi (Ed.), Growth and progress in cross-cultural psychology (pp. 138–145). Lisle: Swets and Zeitlinger.

    Google Scholar 

  • İmamoğlu, E. O. (2003). Individuation and relatedness: not opposing but distinct and complementary. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 129(4), 367–402.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karakitapoğlu-Aygün, Z., & İmamoğlu, E. O. (2002). Value domains of Turkish adults and university students. The Journal of Social Psychology, 142, 333–351.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, A. E., & Achter, J. A. (1995). Self-concealment and attitudes toward counseling in university students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42, 40–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Komiya, N., Good, G. E., & Sherrod, N. B. (2000). Emotional openness as a predictor of college students’ attitudes toward seeking psychological help. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47, 138–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koydemir, S., & Demir, A. (2005, September). ODTÜ öğrencilerinde yardım arama davranışı [Help-seeking behaviors of METU students]. Paper presented at the 8th National Psychological Counseling and Guidance Convention, Istanbul-Turkey.

  • Koydemir-Özden, S., Diker-Coşkun, Y., Yumurtacı, D., Erel, Ö., & Şahin, G. (2009, October). Counseling needs of university students. Paper presented at the 10th National Psychological Counseling and Guidance Convention, Adana, Turkey.

  • Leaf, P. J., Bruce, M. L., Tischler, G. L., & Holzer, C. E. (1987). The relationship between demographic factors and attitudes toward mental health services. Journal of Community Psychology, 15, 275–284.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leaf, P. J., Bruce, M. L., Tischler, G. L., Freeman, D. H., Jr., Weissman, M. M., & Myers, J. K. (1988). Factors affecting the utilization of specialty and general medical mental health services. Medical Care, 26, 9–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, J. (2005). Individualism and collectivism: what do they have to do with counseling? Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 33, 108–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mocan-Aydın, G. (2000). Western models of counselling and psychotherapy within Turkey: crossing cultural boundaries. The Counseling Psychologist, 28, 281–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris, E. F. (2001). Clinical practices with African Americans: juxtaposition of standard clinical practices and Africentrism. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 32, 563–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Öngel, U., & Smith, P. B. (1999). The search for indigenous psychologies: data from Turkey and the former USSR. Applied Psychology, 48, 465–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pescosolido, B., Wright, E., Alegria, M., et al. (1998). Social networks and patterns of use among the poor with mental health problems in Puerto Rico. Medical Care, 36, 1057–1072.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rickwood, D. J., & Braithwaite, V. A. (1994). Social-psychological factors affecting seeking help for emotional problems. Social Science & Medicine, 39(4), 563–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Runtz, M. G., & Schallow, J. R. (1997). Social support and coping strategies as mediators of adult adjustment following child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 21, 211–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Muller, J. (1996). Correlates of help-seeking in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 25, 705–731.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seiffge-Krenke, I. (1995). Stress, coping, and relationships in adolescence. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shea, M., & Yeh, C. J. (2008). Asian American students’ cultural values, stigma, and relational self-construal: correlates of attitudes toward professional help seeking. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 30, 157–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, E. A., Edge, K., Altman, J., & Sherwood, H. (2003). Searching for the structure of coping: a review and critique of category systems for classifying ways of coping. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 216–269.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • West, J. S., Kayser, L., Overton, P., & Saltmarsh, R. (1991). Student perceptions that inhibit the initiation of counseling. The School Counselor, 39, 77–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeh, C. J. (2002). Taiwanese students’ gender, age, interdependent and independent self-construal, and collective self-esteem as predictors of professional psychological help-seeking attitudes. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 8, 19–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoo, S. K., Goh, M., & Yoon, E. (2005). Psychological and cultural influences on Korean’s help-seeking attitudes. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 27, 266–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeidner, M., & Endler, N. (Eds.). (1996). Handbook of coping: Theory, research, applications. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany

    Selda Koydemir

  2. Department of Educational Sciences, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Özge Erel, Duygu Yumurtacı & Gözde Nur Şahin

Authors
  1. Selda Koydemir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Özge Erel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Duygu Yumurtacı
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gözde Nur Şahin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Selda Koydemir.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Koydemir, S., Erel, Ö., Yumurtacı, D. et al. Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes and Barriers to Help-Seeking in Young People in Turkey. Int J Adv Counselling 32, 274–289 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-010-9106-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-010-9106-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation