Korean American Help-Seeking Behavior as Seen Through the Theory of Planned Behavior

While barriers to accessing professional psychological service have been identified among Korean communities in the United States, research surrounding the facilitating factors for accessing services is still largely nascent. This quantitative study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior framework to examine factors that influence Korean Americans’ intent and decision to seek psychological services. Through a convenience sample of 130 Korean American adults between the ages of 18 and 60, this study examined the effect of their attitude toward seeking psychological services, the perceived norms regarding psychotherapy, and perceived behavioral control on the intentions to seek help. To account for the unique acculturative experience of Korean Americans, bicultural self-efficacy was also measured to examine its moderating effect on the relationship between attitude, perceived norms and perceived behavioral control and intentions to seek professional help. Attitudes toward seeking help, perceived norms, and general mental health symptoms were found to be significantly correlated with intentions to seek help. Furthermore, bicultural self-efficacy was found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between attitudes toward seeking help and intentions to seek help.