Intentions and barriers to help-seeking in adolescents and young adults differing in depression severity: cross-sectional results from a school-based mental health project

Table 2 Subgroup differences in previous help-seeking behavior and help-seeking intentions (N = 9509)

	Group 0: without depressive symptoms (n = 6688)	Group 1: with subclinical depressive symptoms (n = 1706)	Group 2: with clinical depressive symptoms (n = 1115)	Test statistics	p	Effect size
Previous help-seeking (AHSQ), n (%)	1416 (21.17)^a	747 (43.79)^b	680 (60.99)^c	χ² (2) = 1054.07	0.04	V = 0.31
Previous formal help-seeking, n (%)	502 (7.51)^a	299 (17.53)^a	317 (28.43)^b	χ² (2) = 24.21	< 0.001	V = 0.09
Previous informal help-seeking, n (%)	1357 (20.29)^a	703 (41.21)^a,b	635 (56.95)^b	χ² (2) = 6.55	0.04	V = 0.05
Help-seeking intentions (GHSQ)
Intentions to seek formal help, M (SD)	2.56 (1.37)^a	2.28 (1.23)^b	2.33 (1.21)^b	F(2, 9501) = 19.03	< 0.001	η² partial = 0.00
Intentions to seek informal help, M (SD)	4.62 (1.38)^a	3.91 (1.38)^b	3.33 (1.31)^c	F(2, 9501) = 331.11	< 0.001	η² partial = 0.07
Intentions to seek no help, M (SD)	2.45 (1.73)^a	3.26 (1.88)^b	3.88 (1.91)^c	F(2, 9501) = 225.70	< 0.001	η² partial = 0.05

Controlled for age, family affluence, and gender. Bonferroni correction applied
AHSQ actual help seeking questionnaire, GHSQ general help seeking questionnaire
Different superscript letters indicate significant subgroup differences in the respective variable

ISSN: 1753-2000