Attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help: A cross-national study between American and Japanese college students

The purpose of the study is to measure the difference in attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help between American and Japanese college students and to identify possible predictors associated with the attitudinal differences. Three hundred American and 300 Japanese participants completed a survey questionnaire. The study demonstrated the degree of difference between Japanese and American undergraduate students, and analyzed whether, or how, the variables of nationality, sex, past experience with the profession of psychology (direct experience), knowing a close person who previously sought professional psychological help, and internal health locus of control were related to attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. The present study found Japanese participants to be less likely to have favorable attitudes toward mental health services than American participants. Female participants had greater positive help-seeking attitudes than male participants in the United States. Sex was not found to be a predictor among the Japanese participants. Past experience of seeking professional psychological help and knowing a close person who had sought professional psychological help were found to be predictors of help-seeking attitudes in both Japan and the United States