Understanding predictors of caregivers’ treatment- seeking behavior for mental health: the roles of stigma, motivation, relationship, and literacy

Dublin Core

Title

Understanding predictors of caregivers’ treatment- seeking behavior for mental health: the roles of stigma, motivation, relationship, and literacy

Subject

caregiver, mental disorder, mental health literacy, stigma, treatment-seeking behavior

Description

Introduction: Caregivers play a crucial role in seeking timely treatment for individuals with mental disorders. However,
reliance on traditional healing practices often leads to delayed medical care. This study aims to identify predictors of
caregivers' treatment-seeking efforts, focusing on the role of stigma, motivation, relationship with the patient, and
mental health literacy.
Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 301 caregivers of patients with mental disorders was conducted in two
mental hospitals using cluster sampling. Variables studied include sociodemographic factors, caregiving burden,
stigma, social support, motivation, mental health literacy, and treatment-seeking behavior. The data were collected
through validated questionnaires as instruments. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify significant
predictors of treatment-seeking behavior.
Results: The study revealed that caregivers' relationship with the patient, perceived stigma, caregiving motivation, and
mental health literacy significantly predicted treatment-seeking behavior (p < 0.05). Mental health literacy emerged as
the strongest predictor (β = 0.349), followed by motivation (β = 0.202), stigma (β = -0.125), and relationship with the
patient (β = -0.108). Together, these variables explained 23.4% of the variance in treatment-seeking efforts.
Conclusions: Mental health literacy is the most influential factor in caregivers' efforts to seek medical treatment.
Interventions aimed at increasing mental health literacy and reducing stigma are critical to enhancing caregivers'
engagement with formal healthcare services. Findings support the development of culturally appropriate education and
support programs to improve mental health outcomes.

Creator

Rizki Fitryasari1,2* , Dwi Indah Iswanti3

, Dianis Wulan Sari1,2

, Lela Nurlela4

, Marthoenis

Marthoenis5

, Sri Warsini6

, and Zamzaliza Abdul Mulud7

Source

http://dx.doi.org/10.20473/jn.v20i4.75117

Date

19 September 2025

Contributor

peri irawan

Format

pdf

Language

english

Type

text

Files

Collection

Citation

Rizki Fitryasari1,2* , Dwi Indah Iswanti3 , Dianis Wulan Sari1,2 , Lela Nurlela4 , Marthoenis Marthoenis5 , Sri Warsini6 , and Zamzaliza Abdul Mulud7, “Understanding predictors of caregivers’ treatment- seeking behavior for mental health: the roles of stigma, motivation, relationship, and literacy,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed February 21, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/11166.