Mental help-seeking intention among atheists and agnostics: Evidence from a non-western and highly religious country

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Psychology

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Stigma and Health

Volume

10

Issue

1

First Page

151

Last Page

154

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

This study investigates the predictors of mental help-seeking intention among minority religious groups, atheists, and agnostics in a predominantly religious country, the Philippines, using an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model. The study tested whether TPB variables (i.e., mental health attitudes, descriptive and injunctive norms, and perceived behavioral control) and stigma-related variables (i.e., self- stigma, social stigma, and anticipated stigma for being atheistic and agnostic) can predict mental help- seeking intention. Results of an online cross-sectional survey (N = 276) showed mental help-seeking attitudes and self-stigma are the strongest predictors of mental help-seeking intention. The findings highlighted that internal factors are salient in encouraging help-seeking among atheists and agnostics despite their highly religious, low religious diversity, and collectivistic environment. Implications point to the need for policies and programs to address the mental health needs of atheists and agnostics as religious minorities.

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Digitial Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1037/sah0000468

Disciplines

Psychology

Keywords

Agnostics; Atheists; Mental health services; Stigma (Social psychology); Help-seeking behavior

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