ABSTRACT
Vaccination against COVID-19 is regarded as one of the most promising interventions to control the pandemic. This study aimed to examine whether adult attachment affects an individual's COVID-19 vaccination intention and whether this relationship is mediated by help-seeking style and professional help-seeking behavior. A total of 401 Chinese adults participated in this online cross-sectional survey. The questionnaires for adult attachment (Depend, Close, and Anxiety), help-seeking style (dependency, autonomy, and avoidance), professional help-seeking behavior, and COVID-19 vaccination intention were rated on five-point or seven-point Likert scales, with satisfactory reliability (Cronbach's α values were all >0.80). Structural equation modelling was used to construct path models based on the above elements. Higher scores in the Depend (Effect = 0.047, SE = 0.018, 95% CI = [0.019, 0.093]) and Close dimensions of attachment (Effect = 0.028, SE = 0.014, 95% CI = [0.007, 0.065]) predicted a stronger dependency-oriented help-seeking style, which thus predicted greater vaccination intention. Higher scores in the Close dimension (Effect = 0.007, SE = 0.004, 95% CI = [0.001, 0.018]) and lower scores in the Anxiety dimension of attachment (Effect = -0.003, SE = 0.002, 95% CI = [-0.008, -0.001]) predicted a stronger autonomy-oriented help-seeking style and further predicted more professional help-seeking behaviors, which promoted greater COVID-19 vaccination intention. The results of this study indicate that help-seeking moderates the relationship between adult attachment and COVID-19 vaccination intention. Guiding help-seeking behavior for individuals with different attachment styles may be an entry point for improving COVID-19 vaccination intention.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically influenced many aspects of individuals' lives, putting the general population's mental health at high risk, especially university students in Vietnam. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between current living status and COVID-19 stress and test whether COVID-19 stress mediates the effect of self-concealment on help-seeking attitudes among university students. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A sample of 478 university students was recruited online to complete the survey. Parametric tests, correlation, regression, and simple mediation analyses were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Our results show that students living alone experience more COVID-19 stress levels than those living with family or friends. Additionally, there is a significant positive association between self-concealment and professional help-seeking attitudes that is partially mediated by COVID-19 stress. Individuals who tend to conceal personal information have high COVID-19 stress levels, leading to positive professional help-seeking attitudes. CONCLUSION: University administrators, social workers, counselors, clinicians, and therapists must consider students living alone as prioritized vulnerable groups for early mental health interventions. Clinicians should be aware of self-concealment and professional help-seeking attitudes that could influence psychological treatment.