Abstract

BLANCO, Graça  and  PAIS-RIBEIRO, José Luís. How do the portuguese assess their mental health and psychological support?. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2024, vol.25, n.1, pp.54-66.  Epub Mar 31, 2024. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/24psd250106.

The objective of this study was to investigate the self-assessment of mental health and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological assistance among the Portuguese population. A total of 615 Portuguese individuals, with an average age of 38.75 years (SD=14.88), participated in this research. They evaluated their own mental health through a single-item self-assessment and completed the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPH-SF). The findings of this study revealed that Portuguese individuals generally held positive views regarding the utilization of professional psychological support, with particular emphasis on more approving attitudes among women and those who had previous experience with such services. Furthermore, it was observed that younger individuals and those with higher levels of education placed a greater value on the importance of seeking professional psychological assistance. The majority of participants in this study expressed a positive self-assessment of their psychological well-being. Notably, subgroups characterized by lowest mental health scores included women, younger individuals, people with serious medical conditions, and those who had already engaged with professional psychological support. These subgroups also exhibited more positive attitudes toward seeking professional psychological assistance. The implications of these results are significant, as they provide insights into the psychological well-being of the Portuguese population. These findings can inform the development of public health programs targeted at populations identified as more vulnerable, as well as those who may be less inclined to seek professional psychological assistance.

Keywords : Portuguese adults; Attitudes toward seeking psychological help; Self-assessment of mental health; Single-item measure.

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