Professional Help-seeking Attitudes among Latter-day Saints: The Role of Gender, Distress, and Religiosity

Factors of gender, marital status, and psychological distress are known to be related to help-seeking attitudes. This study sought to explore and understand the relations between gender, marital status, religiosity, psychological distress, and help-seeking attitudes among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). The moderating effect of religious commitment on psychological distress and attitudes towards seeking professional help was explored through an online survey of 1,201 Latter-day Saint individuals. It was predicted that gender and marital status would predict distress and helping seeking attitudes and that religiosity would moderate the relation between distress and help-seeking attitudes among religious individuals, with individuals who experience high distress and low religiosity being more likely to seek help than individuals with high distress and high religiosity. Participants completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), Religious Commitment Inventory-10, and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help-Short Form online. Multiple hierarchical regressions were used to test the study hypotheses. Although the accounted for variances were small, gender was the most significant variable associated with both distress and help seeking. Females reported higher distress and being more willing to seek psychological help than did males. Religiosity did not moderate the relation between distress and help-seeking attitudes. These findings are discussed in light of previous research and gender role schemas as relevant to Mormon culture.