Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between opinions about mental illness, help seeking behaviors and acculturation among Armenian American Women. Method. A convenience sample was composed of 168 women of Armenian descent in Los Angeles County. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire packet which included the following scales: Armenian Ethnic Orientation Questionnaire, Revised (AEOQ-R) developed by Der-Karabetian, Berberian and Der-Boghossian (2007), the Acculturation Rating Scale for Armenian Americans (ARSAA) modified version, original developed by Cuellar, Arnold and Maldonado (1995), the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help scale (ATSPPH) developed by Fischer and Farina (1995), and the Opinion About Mental Illness scale (OMI) developed by Cohen and Struening (1962). Results. The results of the study indicated that views about mental illness, as well as knowing someone who has mental illness served as strong predictors of help-seeking behaviors among Armenian American women. Although higher acculturation level was unrelated to increased help-seeking behaviors, a general positive trend was found. In addition, majority of the participants fell into Armenian Oriented/Balanced Bicultural level of the linear model of acculturation. The results also indicated that neither ethnic identity, nor country of origin, predicted help-seeking behaviors. Positive views about mental illness was found to be the most consistent and significant predictor of help-seeking behaviors. Content analysis assessed perceptions of influence of Armenian Genocide on their development.