Can reflecting on personal values online increase positive beliefs about counseling?
Abstract
This research developed and tested an online values-affirmation exercise to attenuate threat and enhance positive beliefs about counseling among individuals struggling with mental health concerns. There is evidence that reflecting on personal values (values-affirmation) is an effective approach to eliciting self-affirmation-a psychological process that temporarily bolsters self-worth in order to forestall maladaptive, self-protective responses to counseling information. The present study utilized a randomized 2-group between-subjects design to test the effectiveness of a values-affirmation exercise with an online sample (N = 186) of adults who reported struggling with a mental health concern. It was predicted that values-affirmation would reduce threat related to reading mental health information and increase positive beliefs about counseling. Results indicated that those in the values-affirmation condition reported fewer negative emotions such as feeling upset, irritable, hostile, and scared after reading mental health information, indicating that the information was perceived as less threatening. There was also evidence that engaging in values-affirmation was associated with greater anticipated growth in counseling and greater intent to seek counseling, reflecting greater positive beliefs about counseling. Overall, the results suggest that reflecting on personal values may have the potential to enhance the positive effects of online psychoeducation. (PsycINFO Database Recor…
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Converging evidence across developmental stages suggests that motivational enhancement techniques are well-suited for improving socially anxious adults' beliefs about and intentions toward seeking treatment.
“Thus, converging evidence across developmental stages suggests that motivational enhancement techniques are well-suited for the task of improving socially anxious adults' beliefs about and intentions toward seeking treatment.”
From A Randomized Trial of Brief Online Interventions to Facilitate Treatment Seeking for Social Anxiety. (2022) · cites this paper as Lannin et al., 2017
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- Authors
- Lannin, D. G., Vogel, D. L., & Heath, P. J.
- Affiliations
- Illinois State University (US)
- Iowa State University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Counseling Psychology
- Published
- 2017-04
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 261-268
- ISSN
- 0022-0167 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2168
- OpenAlex
- W2586270392
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 2.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Counseling Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Keywords
- values affirmation, self-affirmation, online psychoeducation, mental health information, threat mitigation, help-seeking intentions, negative emotions, online intervention
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Attitude to Health, Counseling, Culture, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Concept, Social Values, Internet, Intention, Young Adult
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