Mental Health Literacy and Professional Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Primary Healthcare Workers: The Mediating Role of Social Support and Mental Illness Stigma

Background: Research highlights poor mental health among healthcare workers, but limited attention has been given to the mental health literacy and professional psychological help-seeking attitudes of primary healthcare workers.This study investigates the relationship between primary healthcare workers' mental health literacy and their attitudes toward professional psychological helpseeking. It also explores the chain mediating roles of social support and mental illness stigma in this relationship. Methods: We conducted the study among primary healthcare workers in Shapingba District, Chongqing, China. The study utilized demographic questionnaires, the Multiple Mental Health Literacy Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, Perceived DevaluationDiscrimination Scale, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. We applied Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis. Results: Correlation analysis revealed positive associations between mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes, while stigma negatively impacted these attitudes. The regression analysis demonstrated that mental health literacy, social support, and mental illness stigma significantly influenced attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking, with the adjusted R square being 0.402. Specifically, social support and stigma acted as partial mediators in the relationship between mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes. SEM confirmed a significant chain mediation effect, with social support and stigma jointly mediating the link between mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes, explaining 27.46% of the variance. Conclusion: This study underscores the critical role of mental health literacy, social support, and mental illness stigma in shaping primary healthcare workers' attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking. Strengthening these factors can enhance their mental health outcomes and encourage more proactive help-seeking behavior. Implementing targeted interventions in training programs to reduce stigma and promote social support could improve help-seeking behaviors and overall mental health within healthcare settings.