Help-seeking intention during the COVID-19 pandemic: sociodemographic factors, anxiety, and fear as predictors

BACKGROUND: Despite existing research on mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, studies related to help-seeking intention for mental health, particularly in Indonesia, are limited. During this unprecedented crisis, it is important to determine help-seeking intention, to allow providers of mental health services to deliver the appropriate intervention and so as to avoid the worst scenario. The aim of this study was to determine factors predicting help-seeking intention during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS: A cross-sectional approach using questionnaires were employed. Items on sociodemographic factors were asked. Several instruments were also administered: the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and the General Help-seeking Questionnaire. Online questionnaires were distributed via email, WhatsApp Messenger, and Facebook Messenger during the period August 11-21, 2020, yielding responses from 1340 participants (females = 971, males = 369). The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.RESULTS: The results showed that age, education, occupation, living in an infected area, and fear were statistically significant predictors of help-seeking intention.CONCLUSIONS: Mental health services need to be equitably available for people of various sociodemographic back-grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. To improve and strengthen help-seeking intention, providers of mental health services should consider providing appropriate services based on age, education, and occupation. They also need to take into consideration special emphasis for those who are living in infected areas, leading to them being in a state of height-ened fear, which is also a predictor.(Cite this article as: Maba AP, Mulawarman M, Kholili MI, Cahyani AI, Kushendar K, Zahro IF, et al. Help-seeking intention during the COVID-19 pandemic: sociodemographic factors, anxiety, and fear as predictors. Minerva Psychiatry 2023;64:63-71. DOI: 10.23736/S2724-6612.21.02267-3)