The influence of television on willingness to seek therapy

Television portrayals of psychologists may be contributing to an unfavorable perception of mental health services. The present study (N=369) used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between exposure to television programs, perceptions of therapy (i.e., perceived stigma, anticipated risks and benefits, and attitudes towards therapy), and intentions to seek therapy. The results demonstrated that (a) the relationship between television exposure and attitudes was fully mediated by stigma and anticipated benefits, and (b) the relationship between television exposure and intentions to seek therapy was fully mediated by attitudes, stigma, and anticipated benefits. Furthermore, 54% of the variance in attitudes and 47% of the variance in intentions was accounted for by the variables in the model.