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Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings

Published in:

01-12-2015

The Role of Stigma in Parental Help-Seeking for Perceived Child Behavior Problems in Urban, Low-Income African American Parents

Authors: Robert Dempster, Deborah Winders Davis, V. Faye Jones, Adam Keating, Beth Wildman

Published in: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings | Issue 4/2015

Abstract

Significant numbers of children have diagnosable mental health problems, but only a small proportion of them receive appropriate services. Stigma has been associated with help-seeking for adult mental health problems and for Caucasian parents. The current study aims to understand factors, including stigma, associated with African American parents’ help-seeking behavior related to perceived child behavior problems. Participants were a community sample of African American parents and/or legal guardians of children ages 3–8 years recruited from an urban primary care setting (N = 101). Variables included child behavior, stigma (self, friends/family, and public), object of stigma (parent or child), obstacles for engagement, intention to attend parenting classes, and demographics. Self-stigma was the strongest predictor of help-seeking among African American parents. The impact of self-stigma on parents’ ratings of the likelihood of attending parenting classes increased when parents considered a situation in which their child’s behavior was concerning to them. Findings support the need to consider parent stigma in the design of care models to ensure that children receive needed preventative and treatment services for behavioral/mental health problems in African American families.

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Title: The Role of Stigma in Parental Help-Seeking for Perceived Child Behavior Problems in Urban, Low-Income African American Parents
Authors: Robert Dempster
Deborah Winders Davis
V. Faye Jones
Adam Keating
Beth Wildman
Publication date: 01-12-2015
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings / Issue 4/2015
Print ISSN: 1068-9583
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3572
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-015-9433-8

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The Role of Stigma in Parental Help-Seeking for Perceived Child Behavior Problems in Urban, Low-Income African American Parents

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

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Abstract

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