Psychological Antecedents to Help-Seeking Behavior: A Reanalysis Using Path Modeling Structures

Two recent studies tested whether personal distress, attitudes toward counseling, social support, and self-concealment predicted the likelihood that psychology undergraduates would seek psychological help. The present study reanalyzed the data from these investigations using path modeling. By evaluating direct and indirect effects, results supported the following hypothesized model across both samples: Individuals are more likely to seek counseling when distress is high and attitudes toward counseling are positive; distress is higher when social support networks are impaired and individuals conceal personally distressing information from others; and individuals who conceal information often have negative attitudes toward counseling and impaired social support networks. A direct path from self-concealment to help seeking provided a substantially better fit in only 1 sample. Overall, self-concealment is more important in the intensification rather than relief of psychological difficulties.