EFFECTS OF CULTURE AND STIGMA ON ATTITUDES TOWARD SEEKING PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP AND WILLINGNESS TO SEE A COUNSELOR IN ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Asian Americans can face a number of challenges when seeking psychological help. This fact is particularly concerning when one considers the high rates of mental illness and the underutilization of mental health services amongst this population. This thesis presents an examination of how Asian Americans' willingness to see a counselor relates to their level of adherence to Asian and European-American cultural values. The path analysis conducted during this inquiry revealed that cultural values related directly to a student's willingness to see a counselor and demonstrated an indirect relation between a student's willingness to see a counselor and their stigma and attitudes. The indirect effects of stigma about receiving psychological treatment and attitudes toward seeking psychological help were revealed through data collected from a sample of 278 Asian-American college students from a Mid-Atlantic university. This thesis concludes with a discussion of the study's limitations and recommendations for future research and practice.