Asian Indian American Students: Attitudinal Motivation to Seek Mental Health Services

Vol. 1 No. 2

Year: 2007

Issue: August-October

Title: Asian Indian American Students: Attitudinal Motivation to Seek Mental Health Services 

Author Name: Rejitha Nair, Marsha Harman J, Thomas Kordinak S, Jerry Bruce a 

Synopsis: 

Help seeking attitudes and acculturation of Asian Indian Americans were examined in a sample consisted of 69 Asian Indian American students. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale and the Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. There were no significant relationships between levels of acculturation and motivation or attitudes toward seeking help. Reasons why professional help would not be sought included alternative sources of support and prohibitive cost. In seeking assistance, the participants preferred family first, followed by mental health professionals and then religious persons.  Hindus were significantly more tolerant of seeking psychological help than Christians. Specifically, results demonstrated no significant difference between the low acculturated and bicultural groups for attitudes toward seeking psychological help.