Date of Award

Summer 6-17-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology (PhD)

Department

Clinical Psychology

First Advisor/Committee Member

Thane Erickson

Second Advisor/Committee Member

Joel Jin

Third Advisor/Committee Member

Brenda Koneczny

Fourth Advisor/Committee Member

Angela Agelopoulos

Abstract

Purpose: Chronic pain can contribute to both physical discomfort and psychological distress. Psychological distress may sometimes increase the odds of seeking help for pain. On the other hand, factors such as attitudes towards receiving help and the need to present oneself as perfect may constitute barriers to seeking help for pain. However, relatively little research has examined such processes in Asian American individuals experiencing chronic pain.

Aim: This study aimed to better understand, in Asian Americans that reported chronic pain, the relationships among distress, help-seeking attitudes, perfectionistic self-presentation (PSP) in predicting help-seeking behaviors. It tested whether higher distress would predict help-seeking indirectly via higher help-seeking attitudes, and whether this mediational pathway was weaker for individuals high in PSP.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of Asian American individuals with chronic pain (N = 219) self-reported psychological distress, self-stigma of help seeking, perfectionistic self-presentation, and both help seeking attitudes and beliefs.

Results: Despite relatively high distress in the sample and most participants (79.9%) reporting that they would participate in mental health care if given the opportunity, only 27.4% reported currently receiving mental health care. As hypothesized, higher help-seeking attitudes predicted higher likelihood of help-seeking. However, contrary to hypotheses, distress did not predict help-seeking, attitudes did not mediate the effect of distress on help-seeking, and PSP did not moderate the indirect effect.

Conclusions: Results suggest complex relationships between distress, perfectionism, attitudes, and help-seeking, diverging from research with other populations. Future research is warranted to better understand predictors and mechanisms of help-seeking in Asian Americans who struggle with chronic pain.

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