Patterns and Predictors of Help-seeking Intentions for Suicidal Ideation Compared to Other Health Conditions Among Rural Chinese Adults

Overview

Journal BMC Psychiatry

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Oct 25

PMID 39448922

Authors

Yang Wu

Zhenzhen Chen

Yaoguang Guo

Jin Han

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Psychological help-seeking for suicidal ideation is a critical aspect of effective suicide prevention. Past research has documented low help-seeking amongst rural residents in China. This study investigates the patterns and predictors of help-seeking intentions for suicidal ideation versus mental (depression) and physical (heart disease) health conditions among Chinese rural residents using General Help-Seeking Questionnaire Vignette version. A total of 143 rural participants from sixteen villages in Hubei province of China completed the survey via home-visiting interviews. Results revealed a general trend that the help-seeking intentions decreased as the helping sources shifted from close others (spouses, family, etc.) to professional helpers and online sources. Additionally, rural residents with higher educational levels, high self-efficacy, and more severe suicide ideations were more willing to seek help; and suicide literacy was found to be negatively associated with help-seeking intentions. The implications of the research findings are discussed.

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