Prevalence of positive mental health help-seeking behaviour and its associated factors among pregnant women attending an urban public maternal and child health clinic in Selangor, Malaysia / Mohd Farid Abd Hamid

Introduction: Perinatal depression and anxiety are prevalent, but professional mental health help-seeking remains low, resulting in a lack utilization of mental health services. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of positive mental health help-seeking behaviour (MHHSB) among pregnant women and its associated factors. Methods and Material: This is a cross- sectional study conducted at an urban public maternal and child health clinic (MCHC) in Selangor. 296 pregnant women were recruited. The Malay version of the MHHSB, Edinburgh Postnatal-Depression Scale (EPDS), Self-Stigma in Seeking Psychological Help (SSOSH), and Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) questionnaires were used for data collection. Factors associated with positive MHHSB were identified through multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: The mean (±SD) age was 30.06 (±5.14) years and more than two third (61%, n=181) were multiparous. More than half (57.4%, n=170) were in their second trimester, while 15.9% (n=47) and 21.3% (n=63) had probable depression and anxiety, respectively. The prevalence of positive MHHSB was 73.6% (95% CI: 0.68, 0.78), yet the prevalence of probable getting professional assistance was 22.6% (95% CI: 0.18, 0.28). Two factors were associated with positive MHHSB. These were probable anxiety [odds ratio (OR)3.86, 95% CI: 1.80, 9.15] and MHLS [OR 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.08]. Conclusions: Positive MHHSB was prevalent among pregnant women, yet the possibility of seeking professional assistance is low. This study emphasizes the importance of mental health literacy in influencing this behaviour. Further research should delve into the unique connection between probable anxiety and mental health help-seeking behaviour discovered in this study.