Attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help: A comparative study of Turkish and American graduate students

Problem Durumu: Günümüzün küreselleşen dünyasında ticari ve kültürel ilişkilerde olduğu gibi, yüksek öğretim de bütün öceki zamanlara kıyasla daha bir uluslarası nitelik kazanmıştır. Günümüzün dünyasında başka bir ülkede yüksek öğrenim gören bireylerin sayısı üç milyona yaklaşmıştır. Yabancı ülkelerde eğitimin yaygınlaşması ile beraber buralarda öğrenim gören öğrencilerin ihtiyaçları ve bu öğrencilere sunulacak hizmetler konusu önemli hale gelmiştir. Bireylerin eğitimden en üst düzeyde yararlanmaları, önemli ölçüde karşılaştıkları güçlükler ile sahip oldukları destek kaynakları arasındaki dengeye bağlıdır. Bugüne dek yapılmış çalışmalar daha çok lisans düzeyindeki öğrenci örneklemlerine yoğunlaşmıştır. Lisansüstü öğrencilerin ihtiyaçları üzerinde duran araştırmaların sayısı göreli olarak azdır. Bu öğrencilerin ihtiyaç duydukları durumda psikolojik yardım almaları hem ruh sağlıkları, hem bulundukları yabancı ülke koşullarına uyumları, hem de öğrenimlerinin verimli geçmesi açısından önem taşır.

Profesyonel psikolojik yardım aramaya ilişkin tutumlar: Türk ve Amerikan lisansüstü öğrencilerle karşılaştırmalı bir çalışma

Problem Statement: Recent decades have witnessed remarkable increases in the number of international students seeking educational opportunities outside of their countries of origin. Increasing numbers of students with diverse cultural backgrounds pose challenges to existing student personnel services at contemporary university campuses. Studies investigating the needs and attitudes of these students can guide effective service delivery to this population. To date, a great deal of research with international students has focused on undergraduate students. It is essential to explore the needs and attitudes of international graduate students in order to develop effective interventions. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to compare help-seeking attitudes of American and Turkish graduate students. Methods: Sixty-four graduate students were given the Attitudes toward Seeking Psychological Help developed by Fischer and Turner via electronic mail. Data were analyzed with t-tests and ANOVA procedures. Students’ scores were compared according to country of origin, gender, and socioeconomic status. Findings and Results: Results partially supported findings of previous research on gender and help seeking. No significant differences were found according to country of origin and socio-economic status. Conclusions and Recommendations: Despite the growing body of research and apparent concerns for diversifying counseling services, there remains a considerable need for further empirical work with international graduate students.

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