Introduction Psychological health problems during adolescence affect both individual well-being and society. Although physical activity supports mental health, adolescents’ attitudes toward seeking psychological help are also essential. This study examined the relationships between physical activity level, help-seeking attitudes, and mental development in adolescents. Methods A descriptive survey design was conducted with 520 adolescents aged 12–18 years attending middle and high schools in Sivas, Türkiye. Data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form, the Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Scale, and the Mental Development in Adolescence Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and simple linear regression analysis were applied. Results Very strong positive correlations were found between the total help-seeking attitude score and its positive attitude subdimension across all physical activity levels (inactive r = 0.837; active r = 0.887; highly active r = 0.911; all p 0.001). Moderate positive correlations were observed between total help-seeking and negative attitudes ( r = 0.482–0.577, p 0.001). Mental development showed strong positive associations with its subdimensions regardless of activity level, particularly Personal Lack of Control ( r = 0.904–0.906, p 0.001) and Shyness ( r = 0.626–0.766, p 0.001). Associations between help-seeking attitudes and mental development were weak; however, negative help-seeking attitudes were significantly and positively related to Personal Lack of Control ( r = 0.318, p 0.01) and total mental development ( r = 0.290, p 0.01). Conclusion Adolescents’ help-seeking attitudes and mental development appear multidimensional and are shaped mainly by psychosocial factors rather than physical activity alone, highlighting the need to integrate psychosocial components into adolescent mental health interventions.
Çalı et al. (2026) studied this question.