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The following is a summary of “Value-related attitudes towards mental health problems and help-seeking barriers: a sequential mixed-methods design investigating participants with reported depressive episodes in rural Northern Germany with and without treatment experience,” published in the February 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Valerius et al.
For specific demographics, accessing support for severe depression remains a significant challenge, potentially exacerbated by value-based attitudes, especially in rural areas with limited psychiatric and psychotherapeutic resources.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore socialization narratives, value systems, and help-seeking barriers to enhance comprehension of environments at heightened risk for underutilization of psychiatric-psychotherapeutic services in a rural East German region, aiming to supplement traditional socio-demographic factors and offer insights for potential interventions.
They conducted 20 individual semi-structured interviews with participants meeting criteria for experiencing moderate or severe depression at least once in their lifetime, building upon results from an analysis of a population-based German cohort study (SHIP-TREND-1). The qualitative analysis of interview data followed grounded theory methodology principles.
The results showed that non-responders to the study were more likely to exhibit severe symptoms of depression. Several vital factors influencing help-seeking behavior for mental health issues in rural areas were identified as the family doctors were often the first point of contact for mental health concerns and were seen as viable alternatives to mental health professionals. Norms of traditional masculinity, including a preference for rationality over emotionality, the expectation to endure hardship, the embodiment of strength, and a value on independence, were frequently cited as barriers to help-seeking among middle-aged men. Concerns about potential adverse effects of therapy, such as symptom exacerbation, and a preference for treatment options perceived as less pathologizing were commonly expressed.
Investigators concluded that multifaceted barriers in rural help-seeking, influenced by traditional masculinity, call for strengthening existing services and tailored interventions specific to rural contexts.
Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-05521-9
