Lana El Madani

Session
Session 2
Board Number
15

Examining the Relationship between Rural Adolescents' and Parents' Perceptions of Practical and Knowledge Barriers and their Intentions to Seek Services

The purpose of this study was to examine rural adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions of barriers to seeking mental health services and the impact of these barriers on their intention to seek services. Sixty-six adolescents (ages 12-17) and sixty-six parents living in rural Minnesota communities completed a set of surveys about perceived barriers and intentions to seek mental health services. Adolescents had lower perceptions of behavioral control over seeking services than parents and it negatively impacts their help seeking intention. Adolescents also felt that it is harder to find information about mental health services than parents and were less likely to intend to seek services. Understanding rural adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions of barriers in relation to their intention to seek services has implications for the development of methods to reduce help-seeking barriers to increase engagement in needed mental health care.