Table 4 A comparison of the help-seeking perceptions of medical undergraduates (UGs) screening positive/negative for Major Depression, using logistic regression
Help-seeking options | Option rated as ‘helpful’/‘unhelpful’ | Odds of those screening positive giving rating (compared with those screening negative) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% of Experts | % of those Screening positive for Major Depression (n = 57-58) | % of those screening negative for Major Depression (n = 498-509) | |||
Adjusted odds ratio [95 % CI] (n = 553- 565) | |||||
Recommended professional/formal options: rated as ‘helpful’ by experts | |||||
Psychiatrist | 100 | 79.3b | 91.3 | 0.28** | [0.13, 0.62] |
Psychologist | 100 | 77.2b | 82.3 | 0.73 | [0.36, 1.48] |
Counsellor | 89.2 | 81.0 | 92.7 | 0.31** | [0.14, 0.70] |
Organisation helping people to deal with problems | 83.3 | 51.7a | 52.2a | 1.00 | [0.56, 1.77] |
Mental health professional at university psychiatry unit | 100 | 61.4a | 72.1b | 0.65 | [0.36, 1.18] |
University medical officer | 88.9 | 41.4a | 54.1a | 0.60 | [0.34, 1.07] |
University student counsellor | 75.0 | 65.5 | 80.4 | 0.51* | [0.28, 0.96] |
Take western medicine to improve mood | 97.1 | 50.0a | 49.7a | 0.99 | [0.55, 1.79] |
Get counselling/psychological therapy | 100 | 81.0b | 90.2 | 0.49 | [0.22, 1.08] |
Recommended informal options: rated as ‘helpful’ by experts | |||||
Friend from university | 88.6 | 79.3 | 92.9 | 0.31** | [0.14, 0.67] |
Parents | 78.4 | 86.0 | 94.1 | 0.34* | [0.14, 0.82] |
Boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse | 83.8 | 78.9 | 90.3 | 0.37** | [0.17, 0.78] |
Talk to others who have faced similar problems | 85.7 | 91.4 | 84.4 | 2.35 | [0.81, 6.79] |
Options identified as ‘unhelpful’ by experts | |||||
Deal with problem alone | 86.1 | 50.0a | 61.3b | 0.68 | [0.39, 1.21] |