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Cited by 225Mental Health Treatment and AccessGender Roles and Identity StudiesPsychology and Mental Health

Gender and self-reported mental health problems: predictors of help seeking from a general practitioner

Open access
Doherty, D. Tedstone, Kartalova‐O'Doherty, Y.·2010·British Journal of Health Psychology
DOI 10.1348/135910709x457423PMC PMC2845878
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Abstract

Objectives: Findings have shown that many people do not seek help when experiencing psychological distress. The main aim of this paper is to examine the socio‐demographic and health status factors that predict help seeking for self‐reported mental health problems for males and females from a general practitioner (GP). Design: The analysis used data from the HRB National Psychological Wellbeing and Distress Survey – a telephone survey of the population aged 18 years and over. Methods: Telephone numbers were selected on a random probability basis. An initial set of random clusters was selected from the Geodirectory. Using these sampling areas, random digit dialling was used to generate a random telephone sample. Data were weighted on key variables. Respondents who reported mental health problems in the previous year were included in the current study (382/2,674). Results: The findings showed gender differences in the models of predictors between males and females with more factors influencing attendance at the GP for males than for females. While only social limitations and access to free health care predicted female attendance, a range of socio‐demographic and psychological factors influenced male attendance. Conclusions: Findings suggest that a ‘gender sensitive approach’ should be applied to mental health policies and mental health promotion and prevention programmes. Acknowledgement and awareness of the factors that influence help seeking will aid the design of gender specific promotion, prevention, and treatment programmes at primary care level.

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  • Clinician biases influence the quality and type of care provided and leave men less likely to receive a diagnosis despite presenting with similar or identical symptoms to women.

    “These biases influence the quality and type of care provided and leave men less likely to receive a diagnosis despite presenting with similar or identical symptoms to women”

    From Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Men: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Behavior Change Techniques Within Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking (2019) · cites this paper as Doherty & Kartalova-O’Doherty, 2010

    The Discussion reports gender bias in mental-health diagnosis and treatment: women were more likely than men to receive a depression diagnosis despite similar scores on objective depression measures, and more likely to be prescribed medication. It does not establish that men presented with identical symptoms, nor does it directly assess the overall quality of care. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Low educational status, young age, and never-married status were all identified as factors associated with medical help-seeking in that a negative correlation was found between these and help-seeking frequency.

    “socio-demographic factors such as low educational status , young age , and never-married status were all identified as factors associated with medical helpseeking in that a negative correlation was found between these and help-seeking frequency”

    From A systematic review of the factors associated with delays in medical and psychological help-seeking among men (2015) · cites this paper as Doherty & Kartalova-O'Doherty, 2010

    The Males results report that men with completed secondary education were less likely to seek GP help than men with third-level education, and that married or cohabiting men were more likely to seek help than men without a partner. They do not establish a separate effect for never-married people; the comparison group also includes separated, divorced and widowed men. The Results do not identify young age as a predictor of help-seeking, and the study measures whether respondents contacted a GP, not how frequently they sought help. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Lower rates of help-seeking among single men may be due to partners, especially female partners, often supporting and encouraging men to see a medical specialist.

    “As for the lower rates of help-seeking among single men, this may be due to the fact that partners, especially female, often support and encourage men to see a medical specialist”

    From A systematic review of the factors associated with delays in medical and psychological help-seeking among men (2015) · cites this paper as Doherty & Kartalova-O'Doherty, 2010

    The Males section reports that married or cohabiting men were more likely to seek help from a GP for mental or emotional problems than men without a partner. The Discussion suggests that support from wives or partners might explain this difference, but it does not establish that partners often encourage visits, and the outcome was GP contact rather than seeing a medical specialist. The comparison group also included separated, divorced and widowed men, not only single men. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The vast majority of studies have found profound gender differences in help-seeking behaviour.

    “the vast majority of studies have found profound gender differences in help-seeking behaviour”

    From A systematic review of the factors associated with delays in medical and psychological help-seeking among men (2015) · cites this paper as Doherty & Kartalova-O'Doherty, 2010

    The Introduction says that women being more likely than men to seek help is one of the most common findings in the literature. It does not establish that the vast majority of studies found the differences or that those differences were profound. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • Compared to women, men generally report higher levels of embarrassment during or in relation to medical appointments, and they tend to endure symptoms for longer before seeking medical help, especially if no restrictive physical symptoms are involved.

    “compared to women, men generally report higher levels of embarrassment during or in relation to medical appointments, and they also tend to endure symptoms for longer before seeking medical help - especially if no restrictive physical symptoms are involved”

    From A systematic review of the factors associated with delays in medical and psychological help-seeking among men (2015) · cites this paper as Doherty & Kartalova-O'Doherty, 2010

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Kessler RC McGonagle KA Zhao S Lifetime and 12 month prevalence of DSM-111-R psychiatric disorders in the United States Archives of General Psychiatry 1994 51 8 19 8279933
  2. Rogler LH Hollingshead AB Trapped: Puerto Rican Families and Schizophrenia 1985 Waterfront Press Maplewood, NJ 3rd ed.
  3. Shaw CM Creed F Tomenson B Riste L Cruickshank JK Prevalence of anxiety and depressive illness and help seeking behaviour in Africa Caribbean and white Europeans: two phase general population survey British Medical Journal 1999 318 302 306 9924059 PMC27715

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Authors
Doherty, D. T., & Kartalova‐O'Doherty, Y.
Affiliations
Health Research Board (IE)
Corresponding author
Doherty, D. Tedstone
Venue
British Journal of Health Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2010-02
Volume
15
Issue
1
Pages
213-228
ISSN
  • 1359-107X (ISSN-L)
  • 2044-8287
DOI
10.1348/135910709x457423
PMC
PMC2845878
OpenAlex
W2106154044
Cited by
221
References
29
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 13
FWCI
6.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 340 d)
Locations
  • British Journal of Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Health Research Board
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
Keywords
help-seeking, gender differences, psychological distress, general practitioner attendance, primary care, sociodemographic predictors, social limitations, mental health promotion
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Mental Disorders, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Health Status, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Physicians, Family, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Concept, Self Disclosure, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress, Psychological, Health Behavior, Age Distribution, Sex Distribution, Young Adult

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