Hoping and waiting for rescue: Concepts, scale development and process

This study suggests that individuals who feel they need others to rescue them from distressing mental states are less oriented to self-reliance and self-help. Moreover, this coping style is associated with a range of mental health difficulties. Therapists can be alert to these difficulties regarding why clients might not engage in self-help and help clients address them, including linking them to other issues such as unprocessed emotions associated with early attachment difficulties.