Factors associated with unwillingness to seek professional help for depression: a web-based survey.
OBJECTIVE
Depression is a prevalent disorder that has a substantial impact on not only individuals but also society as a whole. Despite many effective depression interventions, delay in initial treatment contact is problematic. The Internet is a possible tool for low-cost dissemination of appropriate information and awareness raising about depressive disorders among the general public. This study aimed to identify factors associated with unwillingness to seek professional help for depression in Internet users.


RESULTS
This web-based cross-sectional study surveyed 595 participants who scored over the cutoff point for depression on a self-rated mental-health questionnaire for depression, had never been assessed or treated by a mental health professional, and were experiencing depressive symptoms for at least 6 months. Among the 595 participants, 329 (55.3%) reported they were unwilling to seek professional help for depression. Regression analysis indicated that unwillingness to seek professional help for depression was associated with male sex and financial issues as a depression trigger, and that willingness to seek professional help was associated with problems with interpersonal relationships. The Internet warrants further complementary investigation to elucidate factors associated with unwillingness to seek professional help for depression.
['Yoshikawa|Eisho|E|', 'Taniguchi|Toshiatsu|T|', 'Nakamura-Taira|Nanako|N|', 'Ishiguro|Shin|S|', 'Matsumura|Hiromichi|H|']
D000328:Adult D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D003863:Depression D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation D005260:Female D006801:Humans D020407:Internet D007564:Japan D008297:Male D008603:Mental Health D008875:Middle Aged D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care D012929:Psychological Distance D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Depressive disorder Willingness to seek professional help Barriers to mental health care Web study