Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41356150›Full record

ArticleJournal of health monitoring2025

Barriers to accessing psychotherapeutic care among young adults: Individual and regional associated factors.

Vera Birgel, Paul Gellert, Heike Hölling, Ronny Kuhnert, Niels Michalski, Michael Rapp, Julie L O'Sullivan, Caroline Cohrdes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of health monitoring, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

8 authors.

Vera BirgelRobert Koch Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Berlin, Germany.
Paul GellertGerman Centre for Mental Health, Berlin/Potsdam, Germany.
Heike HöllingRobert Koch Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Berlin, Germany.
Ronny KuhnertRobert Koch Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Berlin, Germany.
Niels MichalskiRobert Koch Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Berlin, Germany.
Michael RappGerman Centre for Mental Health, Berlin/Potsdam, Germany.
Julie L O'SullivanGerman Centre for Mental Health, Berlin/Potsdam, Germany.
Caroline CohrdesRobert Koch Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Mental health problems are widespread among young adults in Germany, yet the use of professional help remains low. This study aimed to identify the most common perceived barriers to help-seeking and to examine which individual and regional factors are associated with unmet need for mental health care. Methods: A total of 3,051 former participants of the KiGGS cohort study (aged 16 to 25 years) took part in an online survey. Group comparisons and regression analyses were conducted to examine associations of individual and regional characteristics with unmet need for care. Results: Overall, 42.6 % of respondents reported not having used professional help despite being advised to do so or perceiving a need themselves. The most frequently reported barriers were difficulties in acknowledging one's own need for help (problem denial) and negative attitudes towards seeking professional help (help-seeking stigma). Within this group, unmet need was more likely reported by women, individuals with lower subjective social status, depression or anxiety symptoms, low mental health-related quality of life, or inadequate health literacy. Regional characteristics such as the density of care provision or socioeconomic deprivation were not significantly associated with unmet need. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of subjective barriers to help-seeking behaviour. Low-threshold interventions may help improve self-awareness, appraisal competence, and openness in dealing with psychological distress, thereby reducing the risk of mental health disorders.

Indexed as

AnxietyHealth literacyHealth-related quality of lifeHelp-seeking behaviourMental healthRegression analysisSocial statusYoung adults

Identifiers

PMID41356150
PMCPMC12679805

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Registered trials

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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.