Predictors of Intention to Seek Counseling among Young Adults in Face-to-Face and Online Modalities

Abstract

The present study investigated the predictors of intention to seek counseling among young adults in face-to-face and online modalities. The objectives of the study included investigating in which counseling modality (online or face-to-face) were young adults most willing to seek counseling, assessing the presenting concerns for which young adults were willing to seek counseling and exploring the relationship among expectations about counseling, stigma to seek psychological help, attitudes, and intentions to seek counseling in face-to-face and online modalities. Cross sectional correlational research design and non-probability sampling strategy was used to recruit a sample of (N=370) young adults (age ranging from 18 to 25 years) from universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Expectations about Counseling Scale (E.A Tinsley, 1980), SelfStigma of Seeking Help Scale (Vogel et al., 2006), Perceived Stigma from Others to receive of seeking psychological help (Vogel et al., 2006), Online and Face-to-Face Counseling Attitudes Scale (Rochlen et al., 2004), The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2003), Intentions to Seek Counseling Inventory (Cash, & Weise, 1978) and Mental Help Seeking Intention Scale (Hammer & Spiker, 2018) were used for assessment of variables. Results indicated that intentions to seek counseling in face-to-face modality were higher as compared to online modality among young adults. No gender differences in intentions to seek counseling in online and face-to-face modalities among young adults were found. Overall, young adults rated highest intentions to seek help for interpersonal issues followed by academic concerns and finally drug related problems. Personal commitment, public stigma and value towards online counseling were found to be a significant predictor of intentions to seek counseling in online modality among young adults. Intention to seek face-to-face counseling was predicted by personal commitment, facilitative conditions, public stigma, self-stigma, value towards face-toface counseling and psychological distress. This study may help inform health psychologists of the barriers to prompt help-seeking in young adults and could inform advancements and development of targeted interventions to facilitate prompt help seeking among young adults.