Help-Seeking Intentions for Depression and Associated Factors among Chinese Perinatal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sasa Huang, Ying Hu, Bing Fu, Guanxiu Tang, Zhihong Chen, Lijuan Zhang, Meili Xiao () and Jun Lei ()
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Sasa Huang: Nursing Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China
Ying Hu: Nursing Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China
Bing Fu: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China
Guanxiu Tang: Department of Geriatrics, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China
Zhihong Chen: Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China
Lijuan Zhang: Department of Emergency Pediatrics, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China
Meili Xiao: Nursing Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China
Jun Lei: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 138 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha 410013, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: A low help-seeking intention for depression is an important reason for the low number of women with perinatal depression who have sought professional help. However, evidence of help-seeking intentions for depression is still lacking in Chinese perinatal women. We aimed to investigate the help-seeking intention for depression and its associated factors among Chinese perinatal women. Participants were recruited from three comprehensive hospitals in Changsha. A total of 874 perinatal women were included in the study. The score for the help-seeking intention for depression in Chinese perinatal women was 3.65 ± 0.79, with about half of participants (58.3%) reporting that they were “likely” and “strongly likely” to seek professional help if they suffered from depression during the perinatal period. Favorable help-seeking attitudes and sufficient knowledge of mental illness help-seeking resources were positively associated with help-seeking intentions for depression. However, self-stigma decreased the help-seeking intention for depression. Chinese perinatal women had relatively positive help-seeking intentions for depression. Reducing the stigma of mental illness and help-seeking, enhancing mental health literacy, and improving attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking of perinatal women may be the potential key components of interventions to encourage perinatal women to actively seek professional psychological help.

Keywords: help-seeking intention for depression; perinatal depression; help-seeking attitude; stigma; mental health literacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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