PARENTAL STIGMA AND HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIOR IN SOUTH ASIAN AMERICANS

The current literature on help-seeking suggests that Asians are among the least likely to seek help for mental health, with differences in mental health status among Asian subgroups. While research on South Asian American help-seeking is limited, research on South Asians suggests they face cultural barriers to seeking help, especially stigma. The current study looks at the relationship between perceived parental stigma and attitudes toward seeking help, and perceived parental stigma and the preference for formal or informal help in South Asian Americans. A total of 101 participants (mean age = 24.29 years, SD = 3.85) took the survey. The results showed a small positive correlation between perceived parental stigma and attitudes toward help-seeking, r(71) = .23, p < .05. A large positive correlation was found between perceived parental stigma and preference for informal help, r (71) = .54, p < .05. Anxiety symptoms were moderately positively correlated with positive attitudes toward help-seeking, r(70) = .37, p < .05. Generational status did not significantly affect attitudes toward help-seeking, t(70) = -1.69, p = .095, or help preference, b = 0.11, z = 0.12, p = .908, 95% CI [-1.74, 1.96]. These findings contribute to the knowledge about South Asian American help-seeking behaviors and have implications for future research in this community.