Abstract
The current study examines the relationships between Acculturation, Ethnic Identity and Acculturative Stress, as they relate to willingness to seek professional psychological help among Assyrian Americans. A convenience sample was composed of 113 men and women of Assyrian descent in Los Angeles County. Participants completed a paper-pencil questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that Stress predicted help-seeking attitudes among Assyrian Americans. Contrary to most of the previous literature, acculturation level was unrelated to help-seeking attitudes. The results also failed to find a relationship between ethnic identity and help-seeking attitudes. Lastly, additional analysis revealed that individuals experiencing in-group stress and general stress in particular and not out-group stress were significantly more likely to have positive attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. The main contribution of this study is to extend our understanding of help-seeking attitudes to a relatively poorly understood but growing segment of the population, Assyrian Americans. The study identifies types of stress, particularly in-group and general stress, as points of intervention for this group. In addition, this study contributes by demonstrating the reliability of various instruments with the Assyrian population.