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Effect of Help-Seeking Stigma, Perceived Symptom Severity, and Perceived Mattering on Treatment Engagement in a University Psychology Training Clinic

Garcia, Elizabeth Aurora
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5666-2773
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1606067723098454

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, Psychology.
Despite the high rates of mental health concerns within the college population, treatment utilization remains low (American College Health Association [ACHA], 2018; Cadigan et al., 2019; Lipson & Lattie, 2019). The current study explored the impact of psychological help-seeking stigma, perceived symptom severity, and perceived mattering on treatment engagement within a university psychology training clinic. One hundred thirty-four clients completed study measures prior to their intake appointment. Treatment engagement was operationalized as attending at least 4 sessions of individual therapy within the first 60 days of beginning treatment. A secondary non-clinical sample (n = 112) was collected from the psychology participant pool at the same university. Clinical participants scheduled an average of 7.85 therapy sessions and attended an average of 6.42 therapy sessions; most (n =103) clients engaged in treatment. Results indicated clinical sample participants reported significantly lower help-seeking stigma, higher perceived symptom severity, and lower perceived mattering to others pretreatment compared to participants in the non-clinical sample. A significant inverse relation between mattering to others and help-seeking stigma was found in the non-clinical sample, p < .001, but not for the clinical sample, p = .44. A prediction model was built within the clinical sample using logistic regression with treatment engagement as the outcome variable. The final prediction model for the clinical sample included only one variable, perceived mattering to others, that showed a significant relation and increased odds of treatment engagement, β = .05, p = .01, OR = 1.04. These findings provide evidence that efforts to reduce premature termination within university clinics should focus on increasing perceived mattering to others.
Susan L. Kenford, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Jennifer E. Gibson, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Nicholas L. Salsman, Ph.D., ABPP (Committee Member)
78 p.
Clinical Psychology
treatment engagement; mattering; psychology training clinic; help-seeking stigma; perceived symptom severity; premature termination; university mental health; college students

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Garcia, E. A. (2021). Effect of Help-Seeking Stigma, Perceived Symptom Severity, and Perceived Mattering on Treatment Engagement in a University Psychology Training Clinic [Doctoral dissertation, Xavier University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1606067723098454

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Garcia, Elizabeth. Effect of Help-Seeking Stigma, Perceived Symptom Severity, and Perceived Mattering on Treatment Engagement in a University Psychology Training Clinic. 2021. Xavier University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1606067723098454.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Garcia, Elizabeth. "Effect of Help-Seeking Stigma, Perceived Symptom Severity, and Perceived Mattering on Treatment Engagement in a University Psychology Training Clinic." Doctoral dissertation, Xavier University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1606067723098454

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

xupsy1606067723098454
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This open access ETD is published by Xavier University Psychology and OhioLINK.