Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Theory-based behaviour change intervention to promote mental health help-seeking among older adults in Australia:
Claire Adams1,2, Eyal Gringart1, Natalie Strobel2
1School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Objective:
Rates of help-seeking for mental health problems among older adults are low and initiatives to increase help-seeking in older populations are limited. To our knowledge, no interventions have aimed to promote help-seeking among older adults by tapping internal motivations to seek help. In this paper, we describe the development of a theory-based intervention designed to promote mental health help-seeking among older adults in Australia, using an internal motivation paradigm.
Methods:
The intervention was co-designed through a consultative process with nine key stakeholders who represented five main groups: primary health-care providers, mental health professionals, health-care executives, community organisations and consumers. Development was an iterative process, based on best practice guidelines. Nineteen older adults (≥65 years) provided feedback on the acceptability of the intervention.
Results:
The intervention consisted of a help-seeking brochure with behaviour change messages based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Messages targeted older adults' attitudes towards help-seeking, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and barriers to seeking help. Most participants (74%) responded with agree/strongly agree to 10 items measuring the acceptability of the intervention, indicating the intervention is relevant, clear, appropriate and appealing.
Conclusions:
The present intervention appears to be an acceptable way to promote help-seeking for mental health problems among older adults. A larger, robust trial is warranted to determine the effectiveness of the intervention in improving help-seeking attitudes, intentions and behaviour. The intervention has the potential to increase older adults' engagement with mental health support and improve health outcomes in this population.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Behavior Modification
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...

