Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study
BackgroundPrevalences of mental disorders are increasing worldwide. However, many people with mental health problems do not receive adequate treatment. An important factor preventing individuals from seeking professional help is negative attitudes toward psychotherapeutic tre...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| Online Access: | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2025/1/e67078 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832587069282582528 |
|---|---|
| author | Rebekka Schröder Tim Hamer Ralf Suhr Lars König |
| author_facet | Rebekka Schröder Tim Hamer Ralf Suhr Lars König |
| author_sort | Rebekka Schröder |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundPrevalences of mental disorders are increasing worldwide. However, many people with mental health problems do not receive adequate treatment. An important factor preventing individuals from seeking professional help is negative attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment. Although a positive shift in attitudes has been observed in recent years, there is still substantial stigma surrounding psychotherapeutic treatment. First studies have linked higher health literacy with more positive attitudes toward psychotherapy, but more research is needed in this area.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine how general and mental health literacy are associated with attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment in Germany. Additionally, associations between sociodemographic factors, experience with psychotherapy, and attitudes toward psychotherapy were explored.
MethodsA random sample was drawn from a panel representative of the German-speaking population with internet access in Germany and invited to participate in the study via email. Overall, 2000 individuals aged ≥16 years completed the web-based survey with standardized questionnaires in September and October 2022. Attitudes toward psychotherapy and both general and mental health literacy were assessed using the Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Psychotherapeutic Treatment (QAPT) with 2 subscales (“positive attitudes” and “non-acceptance of society”), the European Health Literacy Survey instrument (HLS-EU-Q16) and the Mental Health Literacy Tool for the Workplace (MHL-W-G). Associations between the questionnaire scales were assessed with Pearson correlations. Additionally, basic sociodemographic information and information on personal and family experiences with psychotherapy were collected. Pearson correlations (age), ANOVAs (level of education and subjective social status), and t tests (experience with psychotherapy, gender, and migration background) were used to analyze how these relate to attitudes toward psychotherapy.
ResultsMore favorable attitudes toward psychotherapy and lower perceived societal nonacceptance were found in those with higher general (r=0.14, P<.001; r=−0.32, P<.001, respectively) and mental health literacy (r=0.18, P<.001; r=−0.23, P<.001, respectively). Participants with treatment experience for mental health problems (t1260.12=−10.40, P<.001, Cohen d=−0.49; t1050.95=3.06, P=.002, Cohen d=0.16) and who have relatives with treatment experience (t1912.06=−5.66, P<.001, Cohen d=−0.26; t1926=4.77, P<.001, Cohen d=0.22) reported more positive attitudes and higher perceived societal acceptance than those without treatment experience. In terms of sociodemographic differences, being a woman (t1992=−3.60, P<.001, Cohen d=−0.16), younger age (r=−0.11, P<.001), higher subjective social status (F2,1991=5.25, P=.005, η2=.005), and higher levels of education (F2,1983=22.27, P<.001, η2=.021) were associated with more positive attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment. Being a man (t1994=5.29, P<.001, Cohen d=0.24), younger age (r=−0.08, P<.001), and lower subjective social status (F2,1993=7.71, P<.001, η2=.008) were associated with higher perceived nonacceptance of psychotherapy.
ConclusionsPositive associations between attitudes toward psychotherapy and both general and mental health literacy were delineated. Future studies should investigate whether targeted health literacy interventions directed at individuals with lower general and mental health literacy might also help to improve attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment and help-seeking behavior. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5458a276d51747929012705b4c7b0c68 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2369-2960 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| spelling | doaj-art-5458a276d51747929012705b4c7b0c682025-01-24T18:00:33ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Public Health and Surveillance2369-29602025-01-0111e6707810.2196/67078Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional StudyRebekka Schröderhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0206-4484Tim Hamerhttps://orcid.org/0009-0002-0566-8088Ralf Suhrhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0830-8715Lars Könighttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1450-8449 BackgroundPrevalences of mental disorders are increasing worldwide. However, many people with mental health problems do not receive adequate treatment. An important factor preventing individuals from seeking professional help is negative attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment. Although a positive shift in attitudes has been observed in recent years, there is still substantial stigma surrounding psychotherapeutic treatment. First studies have linked higher health literacy with more positive attitudes toward psychotherapy, but more research is needed in this area. ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine how general and mental health literacy are associated with attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment in Germany. Additionally, associations between sociodemographic factors, experience with psychotherapy, and attitudes toward psychotherapy were explored. MethodsA random sample was drawn from a panel representative of the German-speaking population with internet access in Germany and invited to participate in the study via email. Overall, 2000 individuals aged ≥16 years completed the web-based survey with standardized questionnaires in September and October 2022. Attitudes toward psychotherapy and both general and mental health literacy were assessed using the Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Psychotherapeutic Treatment (QAPT) with 2 subscales (“positive attitudes” and “non-acceptance of society”), the European Health Literacy Survey instrument (HLS-EU-Q16) and the Mental Health Literacy Tool for the Workplace (MHL-W-G). Associations between the questionnaire scales were assessed with Pearson correlations. Additionally, basic sociodemographic information and information on personal and family experiences with psychotherapy were collected. Pearson correlations (age), ANOVAs (level of education and subjective social status), and t tests (experience with psychotherapy, gender, and migration background) were used to analyze how these relate to attitudes toward psychotherapy. ResultsMore favorable attitudes toward psychotherapy and lower perceived societal nonacceptance were found in those with higher general (r=0.14, P<.001; r=−0.32, P<.001, respectively) and mental health literacy (r=0.18, P<.001; r=−0.23, P<.001, respectively). Participants with treatment experience for mental health problems (t1260.12=−10.40, P<.001, Cohen d=−0.49; t1050.95=3.06, P=.002, Cohen d=0.16) and who have relatives with treatment experience (t1912.06=−5.66, P<.001, Cohen d=−0.26; t1926=4.77, P<.001, Cohen d=0.22) reported more positive attitudes and higher perceived societal acceptance than those without treatment experience. In terms of sociodemographic differences, being a woman (t1992=−3.60, P<.001, Cohen d=−0.16), younger age (r=−0.11, P<.001), higher subjective social status (F2,1991=5.25, P=.005, η2=.005), and higher levels of education (F2,1983=22.27, P<.001, η2=.021) were associated with more positive attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment. Being a man (t1994=5.29, P<.001, Cohen d=0.24), younger age (r=−0.08, P<.001), and lower subjective social status (F2,1993=7.71, P<.001, η2=.008) were associated with higher perceived nonacceptance of psychotherapy. ConclusionsPositive associations between attitudes toward psychotherapy and both general and mental health literacy were delineated. Future studies should investigate whether targeted health literacy interventions directed at individuals with lower general and mental health literacy might also help to improve attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment and help-seeking behavior.https://publichealth.jmir.org/2025/1/e67078 |
| spellingShingle | Rebekka Schröder Tim Hamer Ralf Suhr Lars König Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| title | Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment and health literacy in a large sample of the general population in germany cross sectional study |
| url | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2025/1/e67078 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rebekkaschroder attitudestowardpsychotherapeutictreatmentandhealthliteracyinalargesampleofthegeneralpopulationingermanycrosssectionalstudy AT timhamer attitudestowardpsychotherapeutictreatmentandhealthliteracyinalargesampleofthegeneralpopulationingermanycrosssectionalstudy AT ralfsuhr attitudestowardpsychotherapeutictreatmentandhealthliteracyinalargesampleofthegeneralpopulationingermanycrosssectionalstudy AT larskonig attitudestowardpsychotherapeutictreatmentandhealthliteracyinalargesampleofthegeneralpopulationingermanycrosssectionalstudy |