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Understanding Perceptions of Anxiety Disorders and Their Treatment.
Casey A Schofield1, Crystal Dea Moore, Anna Hall
1*Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY; †Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; and ‡Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|December 17, 2015
Summary
Understanding anxiety disorders is crucial for public health. Many adults recognize the need for professional help but lack knowledge of available resources, highlighting a need for improved mental health literacy.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Mental Health Literacy
Background:
- Limited knowledge about anxiety disorders and their treatment hinders effective public health programming and treatment dissemination.
- Understanding public perceptions is key to improving mental health literacy and access to care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate adult perceptions of anxiety disorder and depression symptoms.
- To assess the perceived usefulness of various coping strategies, including professional and non-professional help.
- To gauge awareness of available mental health resources.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 626 adults recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk.
- Evaluation of participants' recognition of anxiety/depression symptoms and their perceived need for professional help.
- Assessment of perceived effectiveness of coping approaches and knowledge of mental health resources.
Main Results:
- Participants generally acknowledged that symptoms necessitate professional intervention, linked to self-efficacy in seeking care.
- Psychotherapy was perceived as the most effective coping mechanism.
- Concerns include the belief that symptoms stem from personal weakness (especially among males and for social anxiety disorder) and limited awareness of public resources.
Conclusions:
- Significant gaps exist in mental health literacy concerning anxiety disorders.
- Public health initiatives should focus on increasing awareness of available resources and combating stigma.
- Enhancing mental health literacy is essential for improving treatment seeking and public health outcomes for anxiety disorders.
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