The Role of Adult Attachment and Anticipated Benefits/Costs on Help-seeking Intentions from Professional helpers and Chinese Friends

Chen (Jiayi)¹, Suzuki (Mikie)², Matsumoto (Mariko)^1
1Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan, 4648601, Nagoya, Japan
²University of Human Environments

 

Submission type

Poster only

Scheduled

Hallway, 10-07-2019, 15:30 - 17:00

Keywords

adult attachment, anticipated benefits and costs, help-seeking intentions, Chinese international students

Summary

Introduction

Generally, university students studying abroad are susceptible to psychological problems because of the new environment and other factors. The present study focused on Chinese students studying in Japan. This study investigated whether Chinese students’ intentions to seek help for psychological problems differ among various types of professional helpers (teachers and counselors); and whether attachment dimensions influence differences in help seeking intentions between professional helpers and Chinese friends via anticipated benefits and costs.

 

Methods

The participants were 221 Chinese university students, male (n = 80) and female (n = 141). They completed an online survey which consists of the adult attachment style scale (ECR); the anticipated benefits/costs of consultation scale; and help-seeking intentions scale.

 

Results and Discussion

Structural equation modeling results showed similar paths for the intentions to seek help from different types of professional helpers. Attachment anxiety was found to have an effect on help-seeking intentions from professional helpers, while attachment avoidance had an effect on help-seeking intentions from Chinese friends. Furthermore, anticipated benefits mediated the relationship between attachment avoidance and seeking help from professional helpers and Chinese friends. These results suggest that interventions and support among students should differ when the attachment dimensions of students vary.

Auteurs