Too tough to ask for help? Stoicism and attitudes to mental health professionals in rural Australia

Introduction: Rural and remote Australia has long been recognised as an area with reduced help-seeking for mental health concerns and an increased suicide mortality. The current study aimed to investigate the differences between help-seeking intentions and predictors between different locations across Australia to better understand the barriers to seeking help for rural residents. Methods: An anonymous online survey measuring attitudes, stoicism, help-seeking intentions and demographics was conducted through various channels across Australia. Differences between locations and relationships between variables of interest were analysed using multiple regression and mediation analysis. Results: In total, 471 participants were included in the analysis, the majority residing in outer regional areas (37.4%), followed by inner regional areas (29.9%), major cities (18.3%), remote areas (12.3%) and very remote areas (2.1%). Location, along with attitudes and stoicism, were predictors of help-seeking. A novel mediation model revealed that attitudes partially mediated the association between stoicism and lower help-seeking intentions for both rural and urban participants. Conclusion: Findings from this study extend knowledge of what differentiates people who are willing from those who are not willing to seek help for a mental health concern or suicidal ideation, by their living location. The findings also suggest practical implications for clinical intervention and community prevention that could assist improving help-seeking for rural Australians in the future.