Attitudes and Professional Help-Seeking Motivation towards Mental Health of Selected SHS Students

The study aimed to explore the professional help-seeking behavior of adolescents. Specifically, the researcher sought to determine the adolescent students' demographic profiles, attitudes, and motivations to seek professional help for mental health concerns. Finally, to test whether there was a significant difference in attitudes and motivations towards professional help-seeking behavior grouped according to the respondent's demographic profile. This study utilized a quantitative-descriptive approach to describe the professional help-seeking behavior of 300 Senior High School students ages 16-19 years old. The participants were selected through quota sampling. Results show that most of the respondents are 18 years old, have no mental health concerns, and do not have previous experience seeking professional help. The distribution of male and female are equal. Professional help-seeking motivations of the respondents show that most of them are motivated by their competence to seek professional help receiving the highest weighted mean. While regarding the respondent's attitudes toward professional help-seeking behavior, the findings reveal that respondents agree on the behavioral component, followed by the affective and cognitive components. Based on the findings, most respondents have a positive affect and cognitive attitude toward professional help-seeking behavior, which implies positive behavior. Overall, there is no significant difference in their professional help--seeking attitudes when grouped according to their demographic profile. Furthermore, the study's results were utilized in conceptualizing and developing a program that would promote mental health services available in the institution to enhance and increase the professional help-seeking behavior of adolescents.