Predicting Attitudes toward Professional Help-Seeking: The Role of Self-Stigma and Mental Health Literacy

Background: Mental health disorders are prevalent worldwide, yet treatment-seeking behaviors, especially in low-middle income countries like Indonesia, remain limited. Barriers such as stigma, cultural beliefs, and low mental health literacy (MHL) often inhibit individuals from seeking professional help. This study examines whether MHL and self-stigma predict attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking in Indonesian adults. Method: A convenience sample of 887 Indonesian adults (aged 18–40) was recruited through online surveys. Participants were assessed using translated versions of established scales, including the Mental Health Literacy Scale, Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale, and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to evaluate the predictive roles of MHL and self-stigma on help-seeking attitudes, controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results: Self-stigma stood out as the strongest predictor of help-seeking attitudes, accounting for nearly all of the explained variance (partial η² = .25). A post-hoc power analysis confirmed a substantial R² increase in the linear regression, with an effect size (f²) of .33 derived directly from the partial R². Notably, self-stigma significantly influenced negative attitudes toward seeking professional help, explaining 25.2% of the variance in these attitudes. In contrast to initial expectations, mental health literacy (MHL) did not significantly impact help-seeking attitudes, and sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, and education showed no meaningful relationship with these attitudes after controlling for stigma. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of addressing self-stigma to improve help-seeking behavior in collectivistic cultures like Indonesia. While enhancing MHL is important, interventions should reduce anticipated self-stigma to foster positive attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking.