Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Abstract: People with mental disorders may face impairment in different aspects of life, but not all of them are willing to seek treatment or support of some sort. This study investigates what could be potential motivators or barriers for treatment-seeking behavior among agoraphobic individuals, and whether the effects of motivators and barriers interfere with each other. The responses are from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Patients (n=4337) self-assess their conditions retrospectively to prompts that were relevant to them. Among the motivators, only problems at work and on the emotional level, and not impersonal issues, are significant factors to treatment-seeking. Controlling for the motivators, neither income nor race is important barriers to treatment-seeking. This study highlights the importance of awareness of illness in treatment-seeking behavior for agoraphobic individuals. These predictors can be useful in understanding/mediating why agoraphobics may or may not want to seek treatment, despite suffering (serious) symptoms.
ArthurChen_QAC201Poster