Date Available
12-14-2011
Year of Publication
2009
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Document Type
Dissertation
College
Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr .Tamara Lynette Brown
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to combine the factors previously determined to be related to African American help seeking into a single path model and, using structural equation modeling (SEM), determine the relative influence of each factor in the attitudes toward seeking mental health services (see Figure 2.2) among a community sample of African American adults from several metropolitan areas in the US. As such, SEM was utilized to compare the relative fit of two opposing models within this sample, one where a path from economic barriers to help-seeking attitudes was estimated freely and one where that path was constrained. Many have argued that for African Americans, economic constraints are barriers to seeking help. While existing literature fails to consistently support this contention, the current study does suggest that social status does carry significant weight in predicting attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Acculturation was not as strong of a predictor. Limitations , including the use of an abbreviated help-seeking scale, were discussed. In addition, implications for African Americans seeking services were also discussed.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Andrea Michelle, "THE CULTURE CONNECTION: TESTING A MODEL OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE UTILIZATION" (2009). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. 719.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/719
