A Study On Help-seeking Behavior And Treatment With Mental Illness

Objective:To explore how to obtain professional pathways and the distribution of primary help-seeking institution.To study related factors in firstly actively seeking help.How long were taken delays of seeking help and delays in treatment in Depression, Schizophrenia, Anxiety disorders and Somatoform disorders.How much was the ratio of recognition,correct diagnosis and referral.What were influencing factors of improvement for mental diseases.To provide evidence for intervention measures.Methods:A self-developed questionnaire about behaviors of help-seeking and treatment towards mental illness was carried out.20cases/day were selected with a random digital table,and the recorded again were neglected.Results:the most common way patients receiving professional treatment was introduced by other patients,accounting for41.8%,followed30.3%by non-specialist institutions.51.9%mental disorders chose to non-specialist institutions,but48.1%were willing to psychiatric hospitals (including the general hospital psychiatric clinic) for help.Unstable marriages and the lack of mental health knowledge were risk factors for actively professional help-seeking contact after first onset of a mental disorder. Median delays of seeking help and treatment in Depression, Schizophrenia, Anxiety disorders and Somatoform disorders were113.5days (4days～21years),34.0days (2days～15years),86.5days (4days～10years),309.0days (53days～8years) and6.0months (lmonths～21years),3.0months (3days～15years),3.0months (4days-8years)5.5months (10days～8years) orderly. There were notable difference for primary treatment contact between the four mental disorders(P<0.005).No-professional recognition ratio was17.8%.The ratio of correctly diagnosed and rationally cured with drugs ratio was10.5%.89.5%of outpatients had not been given rational drugs before they sought to professional help.The risk factors related with mental illness were delays of seeking help and the presence of unauthorized drugs withdrawal. The primary help-seeking professional institution was protective factor.Conclusion.～The delay of help-seeking and treatment in mental illnesses are serious.And mental health knowledge of patient/family,low ratio of recognition of non-specialist,the lack of mental health resources are important factors for delays in seeking-help.The distribution of primary help-seeking institution,delays of seeking help and the presence of unauthorized drugs withdrawal impact improvement of mental illnesses. So it should be taken effective measures to promote the popularization of mental health knowledge and train no-professional doctors in order to improve the behavior of seeking help and provide the ratio of recognition and treatment.