Predictors of Seeking Mental Health Treatment in Black Men: Therapy Fears and Expectations About Counseling

Abstract

The current study examined predictors of mental health treatment among Black men while incarcerated. Participants were 76 individuals who identified as Black Americans and were recruited from a correctional setting. Using secondary data analysis (Shaw, L. B., & Morgan, R. D. (2011). Inmate attitudes toward treatment: Mental health service utilization and treatment effects. Law and Human Behavior, 35(4), 249–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-010-9233-5 .), results indicated that Black men with a mental health diagnosis were more likely than those without a diagnosis to report receiving mental health treatment while incarcerated. Additionally, linear regression analyses indicated that only expectations about treatment (i.e., personal commitment; not therapy fears or history of mental health diagnosis) significantly predicted the current use of mental health treatment. Implications for research and practice are discussed.