Stigma, mental health literacy, emotional expression, masculinity and attitudes towards seeking psychological help

In this study, we looked at the variables affecting Turkish attitudes towards seeking psychological help (ASPH). Thus, we aimed to determine the relationships between mental health literacy (MHL), the self-stigma of seeking help, the social stigma of receiving psychological help, masculinity, emotional expression, and ASPH. The research survey consisted of 557 participants aged between 18 and 60 (399 female, 158 male). The stepwise regression analysis indicated that the self-stigma of seeking help could significantly explain 37.1% of the variation in ASPH. The model incorporated the following factors: knowledge-oriented MHL, beliefs-oriented MHL, resource-oriented MHL, emotional expression, and masculinity. Together with self-stigma of seeking help, these factors explained 44.8% of ASPH. Knowledge-oriented MHL made the second-most substantial contribution, explaining 2.8% of the variance, while self-stigma emerged as the most significant contributor. The findings reinforce the importance of MHL in determining ASPH for clients and mental health professionals.