Predictors of Seeking Mental Health Treatment in Black Men: Therapy Fears and Expectations About Counseling.

The current study examined predictors of mental health treatment among Black men while incarcerated. Participants were 76 individuals who identified as Black Americans and were recruited from a correctional setting. Using secondary data analysis (Shaw, L. B., & Morgan, R. D. (2011). Inmate attitudes toward treatment: Mental health service utilization and treatment effects. Law and Human Behavior, 35(4), 249-261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-010-9233-5 .), results indicated that Black men with a mental health diagnosis were more likely than those without a diagnosis to report receiving mental health treatment while incarcerated. Additionally, linear regression analyses indicated that only expectations about treatment (i.e., personal commitment; not therapy fears or history of mental health diagnosis) significantly predicted the current use of mental health treatment. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Conceptualizing Community Mental Health Service Utilization for BIPOC Youth.

Historically, children and adolescents who identify as Black, Indigenous, and other people of Color (BIPOC) have had inequitable access to mental healthcare, and research shows that they are significantly less likely than their white American counterparts to utilize available services. Research identifies barriers that disproportionately impact racially minoritized youth; however, a need remains to examine and change systems and processes that create and maintain racial inequities in mental health service utilization. The current manuscript critically reviews the literature and provides an ecologically based conceptual model synthesizing previous literature relating to BIPOC youth barriers for service utilization. The review emphasizes client (e.g. stigma, system mistrust, childcare needs, help seeking attitudes), provider (e.g. implicit bias, cultural humility, clinician efficacy), structural/organizational (clinic location/proximity to public transportation, hours of operation, wraparound services, accepting Medicaid and other insurance-related issues), and community (e.g. improving experiences in education, the juvenile criminal-legal system, medical, and social service systems) factors that serve as barriers and facilitators contributing to disparities in community mental health service utilization for BIPOC youth. Importantly, we conclude with suggestions for dismantling inequitable systems, increasing accessibility, availability, appropriateness, and acceptability of services, and ultimately reducing disparities in efficacious mental health service utilization for BIPOC youth.

Therapy Fears and Help-Seeking Behaviors among Mothers: Examining Racial Differences in Mental Health Services.

In the United States, approximately 20% of children and adolescents meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health diagnosis, but few receive treatment. The purpose of the current study was to explore the factors that contribute to help-seeking among mothers from diverse ethnic groups (52.5% European American/White, 23% African American/Black, and 24.6% Latinx). Participants were 122 mothers recruited from 2014 to 2017 through a convenience sample in Central Texas. Using MANOVA, results indicated that mother with no history of therapy use reported more fears about seeking therapy for children. Additionally, there was a trend towards African American mothers reporting more fears about therapists' responsiveness and image concerns. Finally, therapy fears significantly predicted mother's intentions to delay seeking therapy in the future. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Thoughts About Psychotherapy Survey in a Parent Sample.

Researchers have noted that treatment fearfulness (e.g., embarrassment or negative attitudes) causes individuals to avoid seeking therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Thoughts About Psychotherapy Survey (TAPS; Kushner and Sher in Prof Psychol Res Prac 20(4):251-257, 1989) in a sample of parents. This study also examined differences in therapy fears among parents with and without a history of using mental health services. Using a sample of 138 parents (87% female), findings indicated that a three factor structure of the TAPS was a good fit for the data. Furthermore, the scales demonstrated "good" internal consistency ranging from .86 to .93. Finally, parents that reported previous use of mental health services reported fewer treatment fears. Given these findings, the TAPS appears to be a valid measure to assess treatment fears among parents. Implications for research and practice will be discussed.

Child Mental Health Services and Psychotherapy Attitudes Among Asian Indian Parents: An Exploratory Study.

This exploratory study examined how parents' past personal use of psychotherapy related to perceived stigma and attitudes on intentions to use child mental health services among Asian Indian parents living in the United States. Participants were 89 Asian Indian parents recruited from 2009 to 2010 through a convenience sample. Descriptive analyses showed that Asian Indian parents reported similar attitudes as their American counterparts, but more stigma than European American and Latino parents. Using t-tests, results indicated that Asian Indian parents who previously used psychotherapy reported more positive attitudes than parents with no history of service use. Additionally, findings indicated that mothers reported more openness to seeking services than fathers. Finally, psychotherapy attitudes significantly predicted parents' intentions to seek services for their child in the future. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Ethnicity as a moderator of how parents' attitudes and perceived stigma influence intentions to seek child mental health services.

OBJECTIVE: Research has identified several variables that affect utilization of mental health services. However, more could be explored regarding ethnic differences among parents seeking help for their children. METHOD: In our study, 238 caregivers were recruited from the southern United States to examine ethnic differences in intentions to access child mental health services with the Parental Attitudes Toward Psychological Services Inventory (Turner, 2012) as the primary measure. RESULTS: Group comparisons indicated that African-American parents reported less positive attitudes and more stigma than European-American or Hispanic-American parents. Moderation analyses found (a) attitudes were associated with a higher level of parental help-seeking intention among European Americans, but not among African Americans or Hispanic Americans and (b) stigma was associated with a lower parent-reported likelihood of help-seeking for Hispanic Americans, but not for European Americans or African Americans. CONCLUSIONS: Ethnicity deferentially impacts attitudes and stigma associated with seeking mental health services. Public education efforts to increase service use should be tailored toward under-served groups to be more effective.

The parental attitudes toward psychological services inventory: adaptation and development of an attitude scale.

The purpose of this paper is to provide psychometric data on the Parental Attitudes Toward Psychological Services Inventory (PATPSI), which is a revised measure to assess parents' attitudes toward outpatient mental health services. Using a sample of adults (N = 250), Study 1 supported a 3-factor structure (RMSEA = .05, NNFI = .94, and CFI = .94), adequate internal consistency (ranging from .72 to .92), and test-retest reliability (ranging from .66 to .84). Additionally, results indicated that individuals with previous use of mental health services reported more positive views toward child mental health services. Study 2 provided confirming evidence of the 3-factor structure (NNFI = .94, RMSEA = .08, and the CFI = .95) and adequate reliability (ranging from .70 to .90) using a parent-sample (N = 260). Additionally, discriminate validity of the PATPSI was supported. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Children's adjustment and child mental health service use: the role of parents' attitudes and personal service use in an upper middle class sample.

Forty-one parents and their children (20 girls and 21 boys, mean age = 4.33 years, SD = 1.30) participated in a study to examine how parents' personal use of mental health services related to their attitudes toward child mental health services as well as to their children's adjustment. Results indicated that parents' attitudes and personal use of services have implications for children's adjustment and mental health utilization. Parents who personally used mental health services reported more positive help-seeking attitudes, higher level of help-seeking intentions, and lower stigmatization of child mental health services. In addition, parents who used child services in the past reported higher levels of internalizing (not externalizing) behaviors in their children, and parents' previous experience predicted child mental health service use. Results have implications for fostering positive attitudes and reducing stigma about child mental health services that may prevent parents from seeking professional help for their children.

The role of therapy fears, ethnic identity, and spirituality on access to mental health treatment among Latino college students.

This study examined the impact of therapy fears, ethnicity identity, and spirituality on the use of mental health service among Latino college students. Participants were 83 Latino college students (78% female) recruited from a university in Central Texas. Analyses of the results indicated that previous mental health services use was negatively correlated with spirituality. Previous use of mental health services was positively correlated with participants' views that their ethnic community and religious affiliation did not influence their decisions to seek services. Additionally, ethnic identity was positively correlated with spirituality. Furthermore, participants' views that their ethnic community did not influence their decisions to seek services were correlated with religious affiliation. Therapy fears were positively correlated with participants' views that their ethnic community and religious affiliation did not influence their decisions to seek services. MANOVA analyses indicated that only spirituality (not therapy fears or ethnic identity) significantly impacted Latino college students' decisions to seek counseling services. Finally, regression analyses indicated that spiritual meaning and religious affiliation predicts service use. Implications for research and practice in college counseling centers are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Promoting healthy lifestyles: Behavior modification and motivational interviewing in the treatment of childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically during the past two decades. The growing incidence of childhood obesity is alarming, given the significant short- and long-term health consequences associated with obesity and the strong tracking of obesity from childhood to adulthood. Lifestyle plays an important role in the development and maintenance of obesity. Behavior modification programs targeting eating, exercise, and diet behaviors continue to be the mainstay for treating obese children. Although family-based behavioral weight management programs have resulted in significant improvements in weight status, maintaining improvements in weight status continues to be a challenge, with many interventions resulting in considerable relapse. Motivational interviewing is one innovative approach, used alone or in conjunction with standard behavioral modification programs, which has been proposed to have the potential to enhance motivation for change and therefore improve long-term treatment outcomes for obese children. A broad literature search using two electronic databases, Medline and PsycINFO, to identify studies that used an intervention with a motivational interviewing component to modify diet and/or physical activity in the prevention or treatment of childhood obesity identified two studies that targeted weight as a primary outcome. The studies reviewed indicate that, although initial findings are encouraging, further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of motivational interviewing for prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Concerted efforts are clearly needed to elucidate the mechanisms for maintenance of initial treatment gains, as well as the ultimate achievement of more ideal weight once formal treatment ceases.