Abstract
Objective: Using a psychosociocultural framework, the study explored the relationship between Indian American undergraduates’ internalized attitudes of the model minority myth (MMM) and their attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Participants: A total of 205 undergraduates (108 females, 96 males, 1 non-binary) who were primarily upper division students (77 lower division [first years/sophomores] and 128 upper division [juniors/seniors]) from across the U.S. participated in this study. Method: Students completed an online study of five standardized scales. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis indicated the psychological, social, and cultural constructs collectively accounted toward attitudes toward seeking mental health services. MMM internalization and environmental factors also acted as mediating variables toward different help seeking subscales. Conclusions: The study’s findings deepen the understanding of Indian American attitudes toward seeking mental health services, with directives for future research and student services discussed.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of University of Wisconsin-Madison.