Seeking professional help for mental health issues in Slovenia: Prevalence and associated factors

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of seeking professional help for mental health issues and explore its association with sociodemographic factors, various aspects of mental health literacy, and symptom severity. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 using a probability sample of Slovenians aged 18-64 (prepared by The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia). Of the 9000 participants invited, 2677 (52.2% males) completed the survey (30% response rate) either online (78.9%) or in paper format (21.1%). The prevalence of mental health issues and professional help-seeking was assessed using self-developed questions. Logistic regression was used to test the probability of seeking professional help, with predictor variables including sociodemographic, Depression literacy questionnaire (D-lit), Anxiety literacy questionnaire (A-lit), Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS), General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), General mental health (self-developed question). RESULTS: Among those who reported having mental health issues currently or in the past (44% of the sample), 46.6 % had never sought professional help. The logistic regression model was statistically significant (p < 0.001, χ2 (df)= 214,637(16)), revealing that women, older participants, those with higher score on A-lit, GHSQ, and those participants which reported worse general mental health were more likely to seek professional help. The variable D-lit, as well as PHQ-8, GAD-7, and subjective social status, were not significant predictors. For education and the variable IASMHS, only some of the predictors were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need for systematic approaches and targeted interventions at the national level to promote and enhance seeking professional help for mental health issues. KEY MESSAGES: • The study found a large help-seeking gap for mental health issues, with only specific aspects of mental health literacy (eg anxiety literacy) being significant predictors of seeking professional help.