Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Associated to Self-Stigma and Perceived Social Stigma

Introduction: Nursing students often experience stress due to their educational demands and developmental stage. This study focuses on nursing students to investigate the relationship between their attitudes toward seeking psychological help and their levels of perceived self-stigma and social stigma.

Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study, in which 791 nursing students participated through convenience sampling between April and May 2022. Data were collected using the Attitude Towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale-R (ASPH-R), the Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH), and the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The article adheres to the STROBE checklist in its organization and presentation.

Results: Positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help were negatively correlated with self-stigma (r=-0.39, P<0.01) and social stigma perceptions (r=-0.17, P<0.01), while negative attitudes were positively correlated with self-stigma (r=0.50, P<0.01) and social stigma (r=0.47, P<0.01). Variables of sex, age, self-stigma, and social stigma significantly contributed to explaining attitudes towards seeking psychological help.

Conclusion: Social stigma and particularly self-stigma significantly influence nursing students' attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Therefore, it is recommended that authorities develop psychoeducational interventions aimed at enhancing nursing students' mental health awareness and reducing self-stigma.