The mediating roles of anticipated risks, anticipated benefits, and attitudes on the decision to seek professional help: An attachment perspective

This study examined the mediating effects of anticipated risks, benefits, and attitudes toward seeking counseling on the link between adult attachment and help-seeking intentions for psychological and interpersonal concerns in a sample of 821 undergraduates. The structural equation modeling results indicated that the link between higher attachment avoidance and less intent to seek help was mediated by lower anticipated benefits, higher anticipated risks, and less positive attitudes toward seeking help. Conversely, the link between higher attachment anxiety and greater intent to seek help was mediated by higher anticipated benefits and risks and more positive attitudes toward seeking help. Thus, attachment contributed to perceptions of the benefits and risks of counseling, which, in turn, influenced help-seeking attitudes and, eventually, help-seeking intentions.