Investigating the Relationship between Religiosity Perceived Public Stigma Related to Mental Illness and Attitude toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The present research study examined the relationship between Religiosity, Perceived Public Stigma related to mental illness, and attitude towards seeking professional psychological help among undergraduate students in Pakistan. A survey method was used. The sample was composed of (N=271) undergraduates. The Islamic religiosity scale developed by Masood (2018), Perceived Devaluation Discrimination (PDD) (Link, 1968), and The Attitudes towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (Fischer & Farina, 1995) were used to collect information. Descriptive statistics were conducted to analyse the data, and inferential statistics were computed to test the hypothesis. Correlational analysis showed there was a positive relationship between religiosity, stigma perceptions, and attitude towards seeking professional psychological help among undergraduate students. The study's findings provide valuable information about the impact of Religiosity on Perceived Public Stigma and the attitude toward seeking professional psychological help. Undergraduate students will be the driving force behind future transformation and to shape cultural and religious initiatives to fight stigma and avoidance.