Keywords

Childhood Trauma; Stigma; Help-seeking Attitudes; Aruba; Psychological Support; Cultural Barriers.

Abstract

This study explored whether negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help among people in Aruba who reported experiencing childhood trauma were predicted by perceived social stigma and the intensity of the trauma. An online survey measuring childhood trauma, attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, and perceived stigma was administered to 162 participants using a cross-sectional correlational design. To determine the predictive relationship among these variables, a multiple regression analysis was performed. Results showed that perceived stigma significantly predicted more negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, while the severity of childhood trauma did not. Among the trauma subscales, emotional abuse and neglect had the highest mean scores, indicating that these experiences were comparatively common but not significant predictors of attitudes about getting treatment. These findings demonstrate the significant impact that stigma has as a barrier to mental health support. This research adds to the limited understanding and information regarding mental health attitudes in Aruba, emphasizing the need for more culturally appropriate interventions and school-based initiatives to lessen stigma and encourage open communication towards receiving psychological help.

Thesis Completion Year

2025

Thesis Completion Semester

Fall

Thesis Chair

Neal, Raymonde

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Thesis Discipline

Psychology

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Subjects

Stigmatization--Psychological aspects; Psychic trauma--Social aspects; Counseling--Cross-cultural studies; Adult child abuse victims--Attitudes; Mental health counselors--Attitudes

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Rights Statement

In Copyright