The dynamics of help-seeking in men and women: a national survey study

This paper will integrate a number of intriguing results from a study of help-seeking in a national representative sample of Americans. It began as a search for an explanation of why women seek professional help at a greater rate than men. I expected two general findings: various facets of demoralization would be correlated with the search for help in both men and women; and women would express more demoralization than men. The results were not so straightforward. As the analyses unfolded, especially as education and age differences were also considered, it became increasingly clear that help-seeking is not singularly dependent on feelings of demoralization and that women are not necessarily more distressed about facets of their lives that should contribute to demoralization. I have attempted to develop a more complex model of professional help-seeking for both men and women suggested by the findings of this study.