Therapy Taboo in Sweden? A study investigating perceived public stigma, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking professional therapy

Abstract: This thesis examines which factors (gender, age, level of education, and prior experience of therapy) that impact attitudes towards seeking therapy in Sweden, and if any significant main effects and interaction effects are present. Further, the thesis also aims to examine which variable, perceived public stigma or self-stigma, is the best to predict attitudes toward seeking therapy. The study was conducted through surveys examining 193 participants (96 men and 97 women) aged 19 to 62, mainly recruited in Malmö. The results showed that participants that had studied at university, were women, and had prior experience of therapy, were more positive towards seeking therapy. Age was not a significant factor. Further, participants with higher self-stigma and perceived public stigma were less positive towards seeking therapy. Self-stigma was the best variable to predict attitudes toward seeking therapy and accounted for 28% of the total variance. Further, in terms of gender, men were found to experience a higher level of self-stigma than women. Surprisingly only half of the participants knew where to turn to seek therapy. This suggests that there is a gap between availability of mental health services and the public’s knowledge, which needs to be filled.