Mental Health Burden and Help-seeking Behavior in the Austrian General Population

NCT06621537 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: PTW2024_0926
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 2,025
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study investigates the symptom burden and help-seeking behavior in the Austrian general population. Current research shows that mental health in Austria has significantly worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, social isolation, and uncertainty about the future have led to increased psychological stress, which has remained elevated even after restrictions were lifted. Vulnerable groups such as young people and individuals with a migration background were particularly affected, often experiencing additional stressors like language barriers, cultural differences, and financial strain. Migrant families frequently face more barriers to accessing mental health services, such as linguistic obstacles, lack of knowledge about the healthcare system, insufficient financial resources, stigmatization of mental illness, and cultural differences in understanding mental health. Research shows that migrants are less likely to seek professional help, instead relying on informal networks or alternative healing methods, leaving many untreated. Therefore, this study aims to further explore these barriers and the differences in help-seeking behavior between individuals with and without migration backgrounds. A representative sample of the Austrian general population will complete validated questionnaires to assess symptom burden, help-seeking behavior, and self-stigmatization. The study findings will help identify obstacles to accessing psychotherapeutic care and provide insight into improving mental health services, particularly for vulnerable groups.

Conditions

Screening

Keywords

general population; Austria; help-seeking behavior; symptom burden

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• General Help Seeking Behavior

  The General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ) is a valdiated standardized tool to assess current intentions to seek help from different sources for different problems. The total score ranges from 10 to 70, with higher scores indicating a greater intention to seek help.

  Once in October 2024

• Clincial Outcomes in Routine Evaluation

  The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) is a common self-report measure of global distress with 34 items all answered on the same five level Likert-type scale asking about the respondents state over the last week. It was originally designed and developed in response to a research funding call from the UK Mental Health Foundation which required that the content must cover domains of well-being (4 items), problems (12 items), functioning (12 items) and risk (6 items). The total score ranges from 0 to 136 (sum of items), with higher scores indicating greater symptom/distress burden. Domain scores range from 0 to 16 (well-being), 0 to 48 (problems and functioning) and 0 to 24 (risk). In addition, means can be calculated by dividing the sum of the items by the number of items in the total score or in the respective domains.

  Once in October 2024

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Alcohol Abuse

  Once in October 2024

• Insomnia Symptoms

  Once in October 2024

• Depressive Symptoms

  Once in October 2024

• Symptoms of Anxiety

  Once in October 2024

• Self-stigma

  Once in October 2024

Study Arms (1)

Representative Sample of the Austrian General Population

Sample of the Austriang General Population aged \>=14 years representative for age, gender, age x gender, region, education

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

representative sample of the Austrian general population according to age, gender, age x gender, region and education level

You may qualify if:

• at least 14 years old
• Internet access
• sufficient German skills
• residence in Austria

You may not qualify if:

• younger than 14 years old
• no access to the Internet
• lack of German language skills
• residence outside Austria

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Sigmund Freud PrivatUniversitat: lead
• Danube University Krems: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Sigmund Freud Univeristy Vienna

Vienna, 1020, Austria

Location

Related Publications (10)

• Wilson, C. J., Deane, F. P., Ciarrochi, J., and Rickwood, D. (2005). Measuring Help-Seeking Intentions: Properties of the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 39(1), 15-28.

  BACKGROUND

• Vogel, D. L., Wade, N. G., and Haake, S. (2006). Measuring the self-stigma associated with seeking psychological help. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(3), 325-337. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.3.325

  BACKGROUND

• Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.

  PMID: 16717171 BACKGROUND

• Schaffler Y, Gachter A, Dale R, Jesser A, Probst T, Pieh C. Concerns and Support after One Year of COVID-19 in Austria: A Qualitative Study Using Content Analysis with 1505 Participants. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 3;18(15):8218. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18158218.

  PMID: 34360512 BACKGROUND

• Reinwarth AC, Ernst M, Krakau L, Brahler E, Beutel ME. Screening for loneliness in representative population samples: Validation of a single-item measure. PLoS One. 2023 Mar 16;18(3):e0279701. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279701. eCollection 2023.

  PMID: 36928277 BACKGROUND

• Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.

  PMID: 11556941 BACKGROUND

• Kraepelien M, Blom K, Forsell E, Hentati Isacsson N, Bjurner P, Morin CM, Jernelov S, Kaldo V. A very brief self-report scale for measuring insomnia severity using two items from the Insomnia Severity Index - development and validation in a clinical population. Sleep Med. 2021 May;81:365-374. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.03.003. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

  PMID: 33813233 BACKGROUND

• Evans C, Connell J, Barkham M, Margison F, McGrath G, Mellor-Clark J, Audin K. Towards a standardised brief outcome measure: psychometric properties and utility of the CORE-OM. Br J Psychiatry. 2002 Jan;180:51-60. doi: 10.1192/bjp.180.1.51.

  PMID: 11772852 BACKGROUND

• Dhalla S, Kopec JA. The CAGE questionnaire for alcohol misuse: a review of reliability and validity studies. Clin Invest Med. 2007;30(1):33-41. doi: 10.25011/cim.v30i1.447.

  PMID: 17716538 BACKGROUND

• Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. No abstract available.

  PMID: 6668417 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Help-Seeking Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Social Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: ECOLOGIC OR COMMUNITY
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 27, 2024
• First Posted: October 1, 2024
• Study Start: October 10, 2024
• Primary Completion: October 28, 2024
• Study Completion: October 28, 2024
• Last Updated: November 8, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-11

Locations

AU (1)