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Moderation of the Relation Between Distress and Help-Seeking Intentions: An Application of Hope Theory

Uffelman, Rachel Anne

Abstract Details

2005, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Counseling Psychology.

Theories of psychological help-seeking consistently suggest that personal traits influence the process of help-seeking. Research on help-seeking intentions indicates that positive attitude toward help-seeking and having sought help in the past are also related to greater intentions to seek help in the future. The role of distress in predicting help-seeking intentions is somewhat less clear, with research inconsistently supporting the relation between heightened distress and intentions to seek psychological help.

The present research attempted to clarify the relation between distress and help-seeking intentions by introducing hope as defined by Hope Theory (Snyder et al., 1991) as a personal trait that may serve to moderate this relation. This cognitive theory of motivation addresses the thought processes underlying goal-directed behavior, suggesting that hope is comprised of agency and pathways thinking. It was hypothesized that distressed individuals with higher trait hope would report greater intentions to seek psychological help than distressed individuals with low levels of trait hope. It was also hypothesized that this moderating relationship would remain after accounting for the effects of attitude toward help-seeking and past help-seeking behavior.

A final sample of 188 undergraduate students identified their most troubling problem and completed measures of distress, attitudes toward help-seeking, and trait iv hope. Participants also reported their intentions to engage in four increasingly committed steps in the help-seeking process, and provided information about their past help-seeking experiences. Results indicated that Agency (the perceived ability to initiate and sustain movement toward a goal), but not Pathways or Hope Scale total scores, moderated the relation between distress and help-seeking intentions. When help-seeking attitudes and past help-seeking were included, Hope Scale total scores and Agency scores both moderated the distress – intentions relation. However, these relations were in the opposite direction as hypothesized. Distressed individuals with low amounts of trait hope or hope or agency reported stronger intentions to seek help than distressed individuals with high levels of agency. Low-distress persons were similar in their intentions to seek help, regardless of their level of trait hope. Limitations of the study, implications for theory and practice, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Susan Hardin (Advisor)
Linda Subich (Advisor)
Nicole Borges (Other)
Susan Perosa (Other)
James Rogers (Other)
205 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Uffelman, R. A. (2005). Moderation of the Relation Between Distress and Help-Seeking Intentions: An Application of Hope Theory [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1121429320

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Uffelman, Rachel. Moderation of the Relation Between Distress and Help-Seeking Intentions: An Application of Hope Theory. 2005. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1121429320.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Uffelman, Rachel. "Moderation of the Relation Between Distress and Help-Seeking Intentions: An Application of Hope Theory." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1121429320

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)