Identifier

etd-04062017-081809

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders, yet they remain under-treated in the U.S. Further, Black adults are significantly less likely that non-Hispanic White adults to seek or receive mental health services. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a risk factor for developing and maintaining anxiety and depressive symptoms, may be negatively related to the decision to seek treatment and sociocultural variables related to treatment-seeking behaviors may impact this relation. The decision to seek treatment is composed of several subcomponents, including readiness to change (RTC) and willingness to seek treatment. Thus, the current study examined the relations between IU, willingness, and RTC anxiety/depression problems and the moderational roles of key sociocultural variables (i.e., cultural mistrust [CM], medical mistrust [MM], perceived discrimination [PED]) in these relations among 161 Black undergraduates with anxiety/depression-related problems. Contrary to prediction, IU was significantly positively related to willingness and to RTC. The sociocultural variables were not significantly related to willingness or RTC. However, there was a significant IU X PED interaction such that IU was positively related to willingness among students with low PED but not high PED. Additionally, there were significant IU X CM and IU X PED interactions such that IU was positively related to RTC among students with high CM (not low CM), and low PED (not high PED). Results highlight the importance of considering the interplay between psychological vulnerability factors (in this case, IU) and sociocultural variables when striving to identify factors related to treatment seeking behaviors among anxious and/or depressed Black students.

Date

2016

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Buckner, Julia

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.4616

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Psychology Commons

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