Profiles of mental health help seeking among Australian adolescent males.

Abstract Introduction Adolescent males are at increased risk of mental illness and are reluctant to engage in treatment. This study aims to identify subgroups of help-seeking intentions among a sample of Australian male adolescents. Methods A sample of 1038 male adolescent sport participants in Australia (age M = 14.69 years, SD = 1.35) reported help-seeking intentions from ten sources and from ‘no one’. Latent profile analysis was conducted based on these 11 items. Identified profiles were then compared across mental health measures. Results Four latent profiles were identified: Low general help-seekers (10.5%), Moderate general help-seekers (46.8%), High general help-seekers (25.5%), High family and friends help-seekers (17.2%). Low, Moderate, and High general help-seekers had uniformly low, moderate, and high intentions to seek help from all sources, respectively. High family and friends help-seekers reported high endorsement of intentions to seek help from intimate partners, friends, parents, and other relatives, but low intentions for other sources. Low general help-seekers had lower intentions to seek help from parents compared to all other profiles. They also had significantly lower perceived family support and higher psychological distress. Conclusions Low general help-seekers were particularly reluctant to seek help from all sources and at high risk of experiencing psychological difficulties. Their distinct profile offers potential to identify this high-risk group through the use of ratings on the parent help-seeking intentions item. Further research should investigate the predictive utility of this item on help-seeking and mental health, and should consider the influence of masculinity and previous experiences of help-seeking.