Mental health stigma among international university students in Malaysia
This study explored the effects of public stigma and self-stigma on psychological help-seeking attitudes among international university students in Malaysia, guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). A quantitative research design was adopted, and 250 participants were selected using a simple...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (HRMARS)
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/44769/1/FULL%20TEXT.pdf https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/44769/ http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v15-i4/25213 |
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| Summary: | This study explored the effects of public stigma and self-stigma on psychological help-seeking attitudes among international university students in Malaysia, guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). A quantitative research design was adopted, and 250 participants were selected using a simple random sampling method from an international university in Malaysia, following ethics approval. Three validated instruments were used: the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH), the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH), and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help – Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). The findings revealed that self-stigma significantly and negatively accounted for 6% of the variance in students’ psychological help-seeking attitudes, 2 % of the variance in openness to seeking help, and 7 % of the variance in the perceived value of seeking help. Conversely, public stigma did not directly affect help-seeking attitudes, though a significant positive correlation between public stigma and self-stigma suggests an indirect effect through the internalization of stigma. These results highlight the critical role of self-stigma in shaping help-seeking behaviour and underscore the need for culturally sensitive mental health initiatives that address internalized stigma among international students from individualistic cultures in Malaysian universities. |
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