Comparison of Medical Students, Medical School Faculty, Primary Care Physicians, and the General Population on Attitudes toward Psychological Help-Seeking

This study is a preliminary comparison of the attitudes of osteopathic medical students, medical school faculty, primary care providers, and the general population toward seeking professional psychological help. Attitudes were also studied in the former three groups for those who had and had not previously received mental health services. 103 medical students, 22 faculty, 31 primary care providers, and 395 people from the general population responded to the mail-out survey. Attitudes toward help-seeking were more negative among the general population group than among students and providers. For these students, faculty, and providers, attitudes toward seeking help were more positive if they reported having received mental health services in the past.