CULTURAL MISTRUST, OPINIONS ABOUT MENTAL-ILLNESS, AND BLACK-STUDENTS ATTITUDES TOWARD SEEKING PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP FROM WHITE COUNSELORS

In this study, the relationship among mistrust of Whites, opinions about mental illness, and help-seeking attitudes among Black college students (N = 105) was examined. Participants completed the Cultural Mistrust Inventory, the Opinions About Mental Illness Scale, the Help-Seeking Attitude Scale, and the Reid-Gundlach Social Service Satisfaction Scale. The hypothesis that higher levels of cultural mistrust would predict negative help-seeking attitudes was generally supported through regression analyses. Greater mistrust of Whites was associated with more negative general attitudes about seeking help from clinics staffed primarily by Whites and with an expectation that the services rendered by White counselors would be less satisfactory. Limitations of this study, as well as implications and recommendations for future research and practice, are discussed.