Self-Compassion and Mental Health Literacy as Predictors of Help-Seeking Intentions among Young Psychology Professionals in Davao City
Abstract
Professional help-seeking is an important component of mental health care, yet individuals may hesitate to seek psychological assistance despite experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties. Among young psychology professionals, professional knowledge and training may not necessarily translate into a willingness to seek help for their own mental health concerns. This study aimed to determine whether self-compassion and mental health literacy significantly predict professional help-seeking intentions among young psychology professionals in Davao City. Specifically, it examined the levels of self-compassion, mental health literacy, and professional help-seeking intentions; determined their relationships; and assessed the predictive effects of self-compassion and mental health literacy on help-seeking intentions. A quantitative, non-experimental predictive correlational research design was employed. Data were collected from 102 young psychology professionals aged 19 to 29 years in Davao City using the Self-Compassion Scale, Mental Health Literacy Scale, and General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results showed moderate levels of mental health literacy (M = 3.06, SD = 0.687), self-compassion (M = 2.81, SD = 0.887), and professional help-seeking intentions (M = 3.98, SD = 1.36). Self-compassion had a significant positive relationship with professional help-seeking intentions (r(100) = .643, p < .001), while mental health literacy also showed a significant positive relationship (r(100) = .561, p < .001). Multiple regression analysis further revealed that both variables significantly predicted professional help-seeking intentions, explaining 44.5% of its variance (R² = .535). Self-compassion demonstrated the stronger predictive contribution (β = .480, p < .001), while mental health literacy also significantly contributed (β = .299, p = .020). The findings indicate that both self-compassion and mental health literacy are important factors associated with professional help-seeking intentions among young psychology professionals in Davao City.