BMC Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Prevalence and associated factors of demoralization in stroke patients: a cross-sectional study in China.","authors":"Hongyan Yang, Ting Yang, Hui Wei, Miaomiao Liu","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04702-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04702-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Irreversible neurological trauma, long-term rehabilitation, physical disability, psychological disorders, heavy medical and financial burdens, and difficulties in reintegration into the community may ultimately lead to demoralization in stroke survivors. However, the prevalence and associated factors of demoralization have yet to be determined in stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To identify the prevalence and associated factors of demoralization in stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study using the convenient sampling method was conducted between January 2025 to May 2025. The Mandarin Version of the Demoralization Scale (DS-MV) and the Self-Perceived Burden Scale (SPBS) were used to assess demoralization and self-perceived burden, respectively. General information, including sociodemographic and stroke-related variables, was collected. The independent samples t-test or one-way analysis of variance was used for univariate analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between DS-MV scores and SPBS scores, and multiple linear regression was used to identify the associated factors of demoralization in stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study included 376 stroke patients with a mean DS-MV score of 34.32 ± 11.25. 51.9% of stroke patients had high demoralization. Education (β =-0.217, p< 0.001), comorbidity (β = 0.147, p< 0.001), number of stroke episodes (β = 0.131, p< 0.001), activity of daily living (β = 0.118, p = 0.002), and self-perceived burden (β = 0.601, p< 0.001) were associated with the severity of demoralization in stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The prevalence of demoralization in stroke patients is high. Several factors were found to be associated with a higher risk of demoralization, which can potentially be alleviated by targeted interventions. Healthcare providers should integrate demoralization screening into standard stroke care pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Latent profiles of grit, self-control, belonging, and college motives: differential effects of self-control on academic performance among Chilean university students.","authors":"Bernardita Tornero, Marcela Cárcamo, Manuel Rengifo, Jorge Tricio, Cristian A Rojas-Barahona, Jorge Gaete","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04650-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04650-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The challenge of improving academic performance, retention, and graduation rates has prompted researchers to examine the role of psychological factors in higher education success. Among these, grit, self-control, sense of belonging, and motives for attending college have emerged as key psychological variables that shape academic trajectories. The purpose of this study was to identify latent profiles of university students based on grit, self-control, sense of belonging, and motives for attending college, and to explore their associations with academic performance. The sample consisted of 1,651, mostly first-year students, from a private highly selective university in Santiago, Chile. Participants completed validated scales measuring each of the four psychological variables. Latent Profile Analysis was conducted to uncover distinct psychosocial configurations, followed by multinomial logistic regression to identify predictors of profile membership and associations with academic outcomes. Results supported a four-profile solution, with most students classified into a predominant group characterized by moderate grit and self-control but a strong sense of belonging. Profiles were primarily differentiated by self-control and motivational orientations rather than grit or belonging. Neither grit nor sense of belonging predicted academic performance; however, self-control subscales showed differential associations-interpersonal self-control was positively related to academic achievement, whereas work self-control showed a slight negative association. These findings suggest that while psychosocial profiles offer valuable insights into student diversity, their predictive power for academic performance may be limited in homogeneous, high-achieving university contexts. Nevertheless, the differential role of self-control highlights the importance of targeted interventions promoting adaptive self-regulation and emotional competence in higher education settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nature connection and adolescents' pro-environmental behavior: an analysis based on chain mediation.","authors":"Xueping Qie, Yali Tian, Yu Ma, Weifu Ding","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04691-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04691-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to investigate the associations linking nature connection and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) in adolescents by constructing a chain mediation model, with a focus on the mediating effects of empathy with nature and moral identity. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered to 379 adolescents aged 12-16 from three cities in Yunnan Province, China. The findings revealed that: (1) significant positive correlations were observed among adolescents' nature connection, empathy with nature, moral identity, and pro-environmental behaviors; (2) moral identity and empathy with nature are consistent with a chain mediating role between adolescents' nature connections and pro-environmental behaviors. This study suggests cognitive-emotional pathways that are statistically consistent with a link from nature connection to pro-environmental behavior among adolescents, providing a potential theoretical basis and practical guidance for fostering such behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultural background and pandemic context as moderators of the association between expressive suppression and sleep quality in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta‑analysis.","authors":"Wang Donglin, Wang Xuewei, Sharifah Zubaidiah Syed Jaapar, Asrenee Ab Razak","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04527-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04527-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Expressive suppression is a widely used emotion regulation strategy, but studies have reported mixed findings regarding its association with sleep quality in healthy adults. This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the evidence on the association between expressive suppression and sleep quality in non-clinical adult samples and examine the moderating effect of cultural background and pandemic context.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Electronic databases including PubMed, EBSCO, and Web of Science were systematically searched from database inception to May 2025 using predefined search terms related to emotion regulation and sleep quality. Studies were included if they: (1) involved non-clinical adult samples; (2) assessed expressive suppression with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ); (3) used standardized self-report measures of sleep quality (e.g., PSQI, ISI); and (4) reported zero-order Pearson correlations. A total of twenty-three independent samples (N = 13,636) met the inclusion criteria. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled effect size, and pre-specified subgroup and moderation analyses were conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Expressive suppression showed a small but significant positive association with poorer sleep quality (r = .14, 95% CI [0.12, 0.16], p < .0001). Between-study heterogeneity was low (I² = 28.21%). The association was stronger in studies explicitly focused on COVID-19-related stress than in studies conducted in general contexts, whereas cultural background, type of sleep measure, study design, and publication period did not significantly moderate the effect.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Habitual use of expressive suppression appears to be associated with poorer sleep quality in healthy adults, and this association may be stronger under conditions of major psychosocial stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions that reduce reliance on suppression or promote more flexible emotion regulation may help support sleep health, particularly during periods of widespread stress.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This study has been registered with the PROSPERO (registration number: CRD420251059053).</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Punishment sensitivity and life satisfaction: the mediating role of self-concealment and secrecy-induced cognitive preoccupation.","authors":"Jiaxin Chen, QingLei Li","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04700-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04700-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Life satisfaction is central to well-being, yet how punishment sensitivity is associated with life satisfaction remains insufficiently understood. Across two studies, we examined concealment-related processes that may help explain this association at different levels of analysis. In Study 1 (N = 284), punishment sensitivity was positively associated with self-concealment and negatively associated with life satisfaction; self-concealment was also negatively associated with life satisfaction. A mediation model indicated a significant indirect association linking punishment sensitivity, self-concealment, and life satisfaction, even after controlling for negative affect, age, and gender. In Study 2 (N = 249), participants recalled either a high-burden or low-burden secret. Participants in the high-burden secret recall condition reported greater cognitive preoccupation and lower state life satisfaction than those in the low-burden condition. Cognitive preoccupation partially explained the association between the high-burden secret recall condition and lower state life satisfaction. Moderated mediation analyses further showed that punishment sensitivity amplified the association between the high-burden secret recall condition and cognitive preoccupation, with conditional indirect effects emerging at mean and high levels of punishment sensitivity. Together, the findings are consistent with an RST-informed account in which punishment sensitivity is associated with both enduring self-concealment tendencies and immediate cognitive costs in secrecy-related contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents in routine care.","authors":"Matthis Michael Hüwelmeier, Lena Staniczek, Silvia Schneider, Xiao Chi Zhang, André Wannemüller, Gerrit Hirschfeld, Karen Krause, Sören Friedrich, Ruth von Brachel","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04667-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-04667-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely established treatments for mental disorders in children and adolescents and is empirically supported across a wide range of disorders, including evidence from routine care. However, evidence on long-term maintenance of effects in routine outpatient care is still limited, particularly across diagnostic groups. This study examines the long-term, cross-diagnostic effectiveness of CBT in children and adolescents treated under routine outpatient care conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Analyses are based on pre-existing routine outcome monitoring data from 1225 patients (mean age = 14.00 years, SD = 3.24) receiving CBT, collected between 2017 and 2025. Symptoms were assessed using the parent- and patient-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 6-, 12- and 24-month follow-ups. Additional self-rated treatment-success ratings were collected at follow-up (covering expectations fulfilled, perceived helpfulness, problem recurrence and perceived change). Effectiveness was described using group means as well as clinical significance. Pre- to post- and pre- to follow-up changes were analysed using paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Associations between follow-up SDQ scores and self-rated treatment success were examined using partial Spearman correlations controlling for baseline SDQ.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Across both parent- and patient-reported SDQ assessments, total difficulties and problem subscales showed significant improvements from pre- to post-treatment and from pre-treatment to all follow-up time points. Effect sizes were consistently moderate-to-large (r_rb = 0.59-0.77), with sustained effects up to 24 months. Higher follow-up SDQ difficulties were associated with lower self-rated treatment success across multiple follow-up ratings, with strongest associations observed for problem recurrence and change compared to before treatment. Sensitivity analyses restricted to participants in the clinical range at baseline (SDQ ≥ 17) yielded consistent results.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Routine outpatient CBT for children and adolescents was associated with meaningful symptom improvements that persisted up to two years after treatment. Clinically significant change analyses indicated that while many patients showed reliable improvement, a substantial proportion remained classified as unchanged according to conservative criteria. Subjective follow-up ratings were consistent with standardized symptom outcomes, supporting the perceived durability of treatment success under routine care conditions in a diagnostically heterogeneous sample.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Not applicable. This study is an observational analysis of routinely collected data. The analysis plan was preregistered at PsychArchives ( https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.21444 ).</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13147788/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Caregiver burden in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Niharika Dadoo, Praisy K Prabha, Anuraag Jena, Chhagan L Birda, Sandeep Raut, Sandesh Parajuli, Akhilesh Sharma, Bikash Medhi, Shaji Sebastian, Vishal Sharma","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04703-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04703-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Caregiver burden is increasingly acknowledged in chronic illnesses but its impact in the context of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) remains underexplored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines to evaluate caregiver burden across physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and social domains. Comprehensive database searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases on 3 February 2025. Studies assessing at least one aspect of caregiver burden in IBD were included. Data extraction and bias assessment were carried out independently by reviewers. Pooled prevalence rates for caregiver burden and associated domains were estimated using a random-effects model in R.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 383 records, 25 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 12 eligible for meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of caregiver burden was 470 per 1000 carers (95% CI: 390-560), depression at 370 per 1000, and anxiety at 400 per 1000. Loss of work productivity and activity impairment were reported in 290 and 300 per 1000 caregivers, respectively. Stress, reduced quality of life, and financial burden were also common. Coping strategies varied, with adaptive strategies (e.g., religious practices) linked to lower burden. Caregiver burden was notably higher in cases of active disease, severe IBD, and among caregivers with additional dependents or personal psychiatric histories.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This systematic review underscores a substantial and multidimensional burden on caregivers of IBD patients, affecting mental health, productivity and quality of life. Future interventions should incorporate caregiver-centred support mechanisms and resilience training, emphasising psychosocial care as an integral component of IBD management. The study was registered on Open Science Framework (OSF), Registration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YA3NU.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From algorithms to the self: understanding algorithmic alienation in the digital age.","authors":"Burcu Arkan, Yalçın Kanbay, Aysun Akçam","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04677-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04677-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study explores the psychosocial effects of algorithmic systems on individuals in digital environments and conceptualizes Algorithmic Alienation as a framework for understanding these effects.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative design was employed using four focus groups (N = 20) with participants aged 18-30 and 31-50. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in Turkish, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed within an interpretivist paradigm using reflexive thematic analysis. Analytic rigor was supported through researcher reflexivity and iterative coding, with theme development guided by analytic dialogue among the research team to enhance interpretive depth rather than to establish inter-coder reliability, in line with COREQ criteria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five overarching themes captured participants' experiences. Participants described recognizing algorithmic steering alongside an accompanying sense of illusory choice, as well as a gradual weakening of decision-making habits and an increasing reliance on automated content consumption. Repeated exposure was associated with perceived shifts in interests and experiences of identity ambiguity, accompanied by feelings of detachment and emotional discomfort. Some participants reported developing resistance strategies, such as deliberate content searching or reducing platform use. Overall, the findings indicate an ongoing tension between perceived autonomy and an emerging awareness that personal preferences are being shaped by external algorithmic mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings suggest that participants experienced algorithmic environments as influencing not only what they consume but also how they interpret their sense of self and agency. To conceptualize this multifaceted process, this study refines the notion of Algorithmic Alienation as a subjective experience] marked by diminished autonomy, blurred identity boundaries, and emotional disconnection. The results highlight the need for increased algorithmic transparency, digital literacy, and further research into how such experiences vary across age groups, cultural contexts, and platform types.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal dynamics of harsh parenting and non-suicidal self-injury in Chinese adolescents: a three-wave RI-CLPM with basic psychological needs frustration as a mediator.","authors":"Qingqi Zhang, Bingtao Zhou, Da Yi, Yixuan Dong, Ai Ma, Ke Qi","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04682-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04682-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent during adolescence and has been linked to adverse family environments. However, little is known about the dynamic mechanisms through which harsh parenting contributes to NSSI over time. This study examined the longitudinal associations among harsh parenting, basic psychological needs frustration (BPNF), and adolescent NSSI, and tested whether BPNF mediates this relationship at both the between-person and within-person levels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A three-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 1014 Chinese adolescents recruited from 10 middle schools in Beijing. Data were collected at three time points: February 2025 (T1), June 2025 (T2), and October 2025 (T3). Harsh parenting, BPNF, and NSSI were assessed using validated self-report measures. Cross-lagged panel models (CLPM) and random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) were estimated to distinguish stable between-person differences from within-person fluctuations over time, controlling for key demographic variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The CLPM indicated reciprocal associations between harsh parenting and NSSI and revealed a significant indirect pathway from harsh parenting to NSSI via BPNF. After accounting for stable between-person differences, the RI-CLPM showed that within-person increases in harsh parenting predicted subsequent increases in BPNF, which in turn predicted later increases in NSSI. The longitudinal indirect effect remained significant at the within-person level.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that fluctuations in harsh parenting contribute to adolescent NSSI through increased frustration of basic psychological needs. Targeting family interactions and adolescents' psychological need satisfaction may represent important avenues for preventing NSSI.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dimensionality, cross-validation and reliability of Help-Seeking Dilemma Scale.","authors":"Opeyemi Olubusuyi Fasanu, Eunice Chinonso Emereuwa","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04690-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04690-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Help-seeking dilemmas are potential barriers to use of treatment, social interventions, and social support systems. While previously existing scales provided a means of assessing help-seeking intentions, a fundamental gap is their limitation to mental health cases or gender lines. Hence, Help-Seeking Dilemma Scale (HSDS) was developed for assessing help-seeking dilemmas regardless of mental health conditions or gender lines.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study adopted cross-validation design with 660 participants across three samples. First sample comprised 15 participants (males = 7, females = 8) in an in-depth interview that facilitated the generation of HSDS items. Second sample comprised 446 participants (male = 49.6%, female = 50.0%, unspecified gender = .4%, mean age = 29 ± 11.31 years) randomly split into EFA (n = 227) and CFA (n = 219) subsamples. HSDS was cross-validated with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in the EFA subsample and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in the CFA subsample. Third sample comprised 199 participants (male = 85%, female = 11.5%, unspecified gender = 3.5%, mean age = 31.29 ± 6.55 years) where predictive validity was tested. Data were collected using HSDS, General Help Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ), Self-stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH) and Actual Help-Seeking Questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>EFA revealed sampling adequacy and data appropriateness for factorization [KMO = .910, χ²(231) = 2241.50, p < .0001] and extracted five dimensions, accounting for 62.4% of total variance. CFA confirmed the five-dimensional model of the EFA, with acceptable model fit indices: χ²(160) = 321.041, p < 0.001; CMNI/DF = 2.01; RMSEA = .07 (95% CI: .06 - .08). All HSDS dimensions showed convergent validity. Fornell-Larcker Criterion and Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio confirmed dimensional discriminant validity. Predictive validity showed that HSDS significantly predicted actual help seeking [OR = 1.19, p < 0.001]. Pearson's correlations confirmed discriminant validity between HSDS and SSOSH, r = .14, p < .01, and GHSQ, r = .05, p > .05. All dimensions demonstrated good internal consistency, with reliability score ranging from .79 to .88. Overall internal consistency for HSDS was .95.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HSDS is valid and reliable for assessing help-seeking dilemmas in academic and general populations and without limitation to any gender.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}