Exploring Attitudes Towards Using Psychiatric Medication for Mental Disorders Through the Lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior Open Access

Abstract

The stigma associated with and the tension surrounding mental health and mental disorders can be significant barriers that prevent individuals from seeking help and treatment. In order to better understand decision-making related to mental health treatment, the present study examined several factors influencing the decision to use psychiatric medication to treat depressive and anxiety disorders through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Undergraduate participants (N=138) completed an online survey that assessed personal attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control as predictors of intention to use psychiatric medication; gender and the degree of closeness to an individual with a diagnosed mental disorder were also measured. As predicted, the Theory of Planned Behavior factors (i.e., attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control) significantly predicted the intent to use psychiatric medication to treat depressive and anxiety disorders; of these, personal attitudes was found to be the strongest predictor of intent. However, gender and the degree of closeness to an individual with a mental health diagnosis did not significantly predict the intent to use psychiatric medication to treat depressive and anxiety disorders. Results suggest that The Theory of Planned Behavior is an appropriate model that can be used to understand decisions in the mental health domain, but more work is needed to better understand the precise nature and relative strengths of these factors in predicting various deliberate decisions regarding mental health and treatment.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Mental Health Sphere 9

Theory of Planned Behavior 13

Current Study 17

Hypotheses 18

Method 19

Participants 19

Materials and Measures 20

Procedure 21

Design 21

Results 23

Descriptive Statistics 23

Tests of Main Hypotheses 23

Exploratory Analyses with Additional Variables 24

Discussion 28

Main Hypotheses 29

Exploratory Hypotheses 30

Strengths 32

Limitations 34

Future Directions 36

Conclusion 38

References 39

Tables 44

Figures 56

Appendices 59

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Subfield / Discipline	Clinical Psychology
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Social
Keyword	Mental Disorders Theory of Planned Behavior Depressive and Anxiety Disorders Attitudes Stigma Perceived Behavioral Control Subjective Norms
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Jessica Barber, Emory University
Committee Members	Timothy Dowd, Emory University Michael Treadway, Emory University

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