Understanding and Promoting Help-Seeking Among Adolescents

Social emotional skills have been associated with fostering positive youth development. This research considered the association between a social emotional learning program, entitled The Healthy Relationships Plus Program (HRPP), and behavioural intentions to seek help; an integral component of positive youth development. Self-report surveys prior to and after program implementation were collected from participants and focus groups were conducted to explore youth intentions to seek help. Results from this analysis demonstrated that youth intentions to seek help were influenced by fear of stigmatization. Furthermore, the HRPP demonstrated through repeated measures ANOVA analyses that an association between program participation and knowledge of help-seeking strategies existed. Results were inconclusive as to whether program participation was associated with intentions to seek help. Findings from this report can advise educators and youth service providers on possible health related curriculum changes that promote and increase youth help-seeking behaviour and positive youth development