Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32816062›Full record

SynthesisSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2020

Filipino help-seeking for mental health problems and associated barriers and facilitators: a systematic review.

Andrea B Martinez, Melissa Co, Jennifer Lau, June S L Brown

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 67 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
67citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
15.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

67 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 206 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives on Barriers to Mental Health Support for Informal Caregivers.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
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7 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Andrea B MartinezDepartment of Behavioral Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines. andrea.martinez@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4437-769X
Melissa CoHealth Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England.
Jennifer LauDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England.
June S L BrownDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England.
King's College London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis systematic review aims to synthesise the evidence on behavioural and attitudinal patterns as well as barriers and enablers in Filipino formal help-seeking.

methodsUsing PRISMA framework, 15 studies conducted in 7 countries on Filipino help-seeking were appraised through narrative synthesis.

resultsFilipinos across the world have general reluctance and unfavourable attitude towards formal help-seeking despite high rates of psychological distress. They prefer seeking help from close family and friends. Barriers cited by Filipinos living in the Philippines include financial constraints and inaccessibility of services, whereas overseas Filipinos were hampered by immigration status, lack of health insurance, language difficulty, experience of discrimination and lack of acculturation to host culture. Both groups were hindered by self and social stigma attached to mental disorder, and by concern for loss of face, sense of shame, and adherence to Asian values of conformity to norms where mental illness is considered unacceptable. Filipinos are also prevented from seeking help by their sense of resilience and self-reliance, but this is explored only in qualitative studies. They utilize special mental health care only as the last resort or when problems become severe. Other prominent facilitators include perception of distress, influence of social support, financial capacity and previous positive experience in formal help.

conclusionWe confirmed the low utilization of mental health services among Filipinos regardless of their locations, with mental health stigma as primary barrier, while resilience and self-reliance as coping strategies were cited in qualitative studies. Social support and problem severity were cited as prominent facilitators.

Indexed as

Help-Seeking BehaviorMental DisordersMental Health ServicesHumansLanguageMental HealthPatient Acceptance of Health CarePhilippinesSocial StigmaBarriers and facilitatorsFilipinosHelp-seekingMental healthMental health service usePhilippines

Identifiers

PMID32816062
PMCPMC7578164
OpenAlexW3067063969

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.