Mediating Role of Religious Commitment in Depression Stigma and Help-Seeking Intention among selected Malaysian Young Adults

Studies have found that individuals with a stronger religious commitment were more likely to avoid seeking mental health care, while others have found the inverse to be true.Due to mixed findings in past studies, the current study investigated the role of religious commitment in bridging stigma against depression and helpseeking intention among Malaysian young adults.A total of 222 participants responded to the questionnaire (Mean age = 24.14 years old, SD = 4.81).The results indicated that personal stigma did not hinder help-seeking intention and additionally, religious commitment partially mediated the relationship between personal stigma and help-seeking intention.Thus, religion is a protective factor for help-seeking intention among this study sample, and the mechanisms of its protectiveness was further discussed in the manuscript.Future interventions based on religious beliefs can be considered to improve perceptions of depression stigma and increase helpseeking behavior among young adults.