Impact of alternative terminology for depression on help‐seeking intention: A randomized online trial.

HELP-seeking behavior; MENTAL health; SENSATION seeking; INTENTION; CLINICAL psychologists; MENTAL depression; WORRY

Objective: People with depression experience barriers to seeking professional help. Different diagnostic terminology can influence people's treatment/management preferences. The aim of this study was to investigate how alternative depression diagnostic labels and recommendations impact help‐seeking intentions and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: Participants (18–70 years) were recruited using an online panel (Australia) to complete a randomized controlled trial. They read a hypothetical scenario where they discussed experiencing depressive symptoms with their GP and were randomized to receive one of four diagnoses ("depression," "burnout," "functional impairment syndrome" [fictitious label], no label [control]), and one of two follow‐up recommendations ("clinical psychologist," "mind coach"). Primary outcome: help‐seeking intention (5‐point scale, higher = greater intention); secondary outcomes: intention to speak to boss, self‐stigma, worry, perceived severity, illness perceptions, and personal stigma. Results: A total of 676 participants completed the survey. There was no main effect of diagnostic label on help‐seeking intention or stigma outcomes. Intention to speak to a boss was higher with the depression compared to burnout label (MD = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.14–0.66) and perceived severity was higher with the depression label compared to control (MD = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.22–0.74) and all other labels. Those who received the "clinical psychologist" recommendation reported higher help‐seeking intention (MD = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.25–0.60) and treatment control (MD = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.29–1.10) compared to the "mind coach" recommendation. Conclusion: Findings highlight the success of efforts to promote help‐seeking from clinical psychologists for depression. If burnout is considered a separate diagnostic entity to depression, greater awareness around what such a diagnosis means may be needed. Future research should examine how different terminologies surrounding other mental health conditions impact help‐seeking and stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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