Help-Seeking Attitudes of International Japanese Students
Etsuko Asano ([email protected])
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Abstract
In Japan, it is uncommon to seek professional help for solving personal problems. This
cultural background may influence Japanese international students’ help-seeking attitudes
even though they live in a different cultural environment (U.S.). Understanding Japanese
international students’ attitudes toward professional psychological services will be helpful
for future counseling with Japanese individuals. The purpose of this study was to explore
how Japanese international students’ help-seeking attitudes were different compared to
U.S. students.
Fischer and Turner’s scale of Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help was
used for this study.
N = 86 students (40 U.S. students, 46 Japanese international students) participated
in this study. Mean age of the students was 23.4.
The study found that women had more positive attitudes toward seeking
professional psychological help than men (p<.05). The most significant factor was
stigma tolerance for women (p<.001).
The data did not show any significant difference in help seeking attitudes between
Japanese international students and U.S. students.
Japanese international students who were not in the EIL program (English as an
International Language) had more positive help seeking attitudes compared to the
Japanese international students who were in the EIL program.
Introduction
Brigham Young University-Hawaii Campus has accepted a large number of international
students since the university was established in 1955. Today, Asian students are the
second largest group of international students. While Japanese international students are
adjusting to a new culture, language, and life, they also have to face challenges in their
schoolwork. These new experiences increase the stress that Japanese international students
encounter in higher education. In the United States, many universities provide counseling
centers, and students can utilize different types of counseling, such as academic, career,
and personal. Compared to Americans, Japanese tend not to seek professional help. In the
Japanese culture, people who can control their emotions and thinking are respected (Saito,
1993, p74). “Ie” (a family unit in Japanese) plays an important role in the Japanese
society. In order to protect their family name, many Japanese usually tend to keep their
family problems, especially psychological problems, within the family. They are also
sensitive to the public eye and reputations. This cultural background might influence
Japanese students’ help seeking attitudes even if they live in a different culture. It is
expected that:
Japanese international students’ attitudes toward seeking professional
psychological help will be less positive than U.S. students.
A length of time living in U.S. may influence Japanese international students’ helpseeking attitudes.
Females are more willing to seek professional help than males for both U.S.
students and Japanese international students.
Method
Participants:
Forty-six Japanese students (24 male, 22 female) and forty U.S. students (20 male,
20 female) from Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
Mean age of the students was 23.4, and age range was from 18 to 29.
Twenty out of forty-six Japanese international students were enrolled in the English
as an International Language (EIL) program.
Questionnaire:
Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help (ATSPPH) Fischer &
Turner (1970)
The scale has 29 help-seeking attitude items, and the items are divided into four
factors:
1. Recognition of need for psychological help
2. Stigma tolerance
3. Interpersonal openness
4. Confidence in mental health practitioner
Two open-end questions and five multiple-choice questions are also provided.
Results
Independent sample t-tests were used to evaluate possible differences in helpseeking attitudes.
There was a significant difference between men and women on stigma tolerance, t
(84) = -3.01, p<.003. (see table 1)
The data indicated that there was a significant difference between Japanese
international students who were in the EIL program and who were not in the EIL
program on the stigma tolerance scale, t (44) = -2.89, p<.006. (see table 3)
Total help-seeking attitudes between genders shows females more willing overall
to seek help, t (79) = -1.97, p<.53. (see table 1)
Help-seeking attitudes between U.S. students and Japanese international students
were not significantly different. (see table 2)
Discussion
The study found that women (both Japanese and U.S.) are more willing to seek
professional psychological help. However, there were no significant differences between
Japanese and U.S. students in any of the subscales or the total attitudes. This finding
demonstrates that help seeking attitudes of Japanese international students and U.S.
students are similar. In fact, a majority of the Japanese international students answered
that it is acceptable to see a counselor on the multiple-choice question. The study also
found that Japanese international students who were not in the EIL program had positive
help seeking attitudes compared to the Japanese international students who were in the EIL
program. In other words, when Japanese international students live in the U.S. longer,
their help seeking attitudes were more likely influenced by a western culture. The results
of other subscales (need, openness, and confidence) and total attitudes for Japanese
international students’ help-seeking attitudes did not indicate a significant difference.
Compared to Japan, a bias against using counseling services is less in the US. This may
reduce Japanese international students’ anxiety of worrying about how others perceive
them. An openness of an American University and a church school environment also may
influence Japanese international students’ help-seeking attitudes. Moreover, different
types of counseling services such as academic and career counseling may give a better
image toward university counseling services. Because academic and career advising are
commonly practiced in Japanese schools, Japanese international students may utilize those
services with less anxiety.
However, only eight out of forty-six Japanese international students answered that they had
used the counseling services before. Although the results of the study show that many
Japanese international students have positive help-seeking attitudes, most of them do not
tend to seek professional help. Their help-seeking attitudes and actual actions may not
necessarily be related. Since career decision-making is a main concern for most of the
Japanese students, providing effective career counseling may help to create a better
impression toward counseling. If Japanese international students have a good experience,
they may decide to use other counseling services when they are needed.
Reference
Saito, M. (1993). Counseling in Japan. In A.H.Othman, & A.Awang (Eds.), Counseling
in the Asia-Pacific Region (pp.73-81). Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood.
Table 1
Gender Difference in Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help Scale
________________________________________________________________________
Subscale
Male
Female
__________________
________________
M
SD
M
SD
t
p
________________________________________________________________________
Need
11.57
3.24
12.23
3.11
-.93
.36
Stigma
7.75
1.94
9.19
2.47
-3.01
.003**
Openness
8.19
2.8
8.83
2.43
-1.14
.258
Confidence
14.14
3.27
14.40
3.9
-.35
.73
Total
41.49
6.64
44.70
8.01
-1.97
.05*
________________________________________________________________________
Note. *p<.05. **p<.01. Larger mean values refer to more positive attitudes toward
seeking professional help.
Table 2
Mean Scores and Standard Deviations in Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional
Help as a Function of National Culture
________________________________________________________________________
Subscale
U.S. Mainland
Japanese
__________________
________________
M
SD
M
SD
t
p
________________________________________________________________________
Need
11.88
3.36
11.9
3.03
-.042
.97
Stigma
8.52
2.44
8.39
2.23
-.265
.79
Openness
8.36
2.29
8.63
2.9
-.473
.34
Confidence
14.23
3.8
14.3
3.41
-.102
.92
Total
42.62
8.54
43.5
6.42
-.529
.6
________________________________________________________________________
Note. *p<.05. **p<.01. Larger mean values refer to more positive attitudes toward
seeking professional help.
Table 3
Mean Scores and Standard Deviations in Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional
Help Scale Between Japanese International Students in the EIL Program
and Non-EIL Japanese International Students
________________________________________________________________________
Subscale
EIL
Non-EIL
__________________
________________
M
SD
M
SD
t
p
________________________________________________________________________
Need
12.67
3.35
12.10
3.39
.54
.59
Stigma
7.87
1.63
9.14
1.28
-2.89
.006**
Openness
11.00
2.98
10.91
4.17
.84
.93
Confidence
13.26
3.51
15.05
4.62
-1.46
.15
Total
45.0
6.81
47.75
9.56
-1.07
.29
________________________________________________________________________
Note. *p<.05. **p<.01. Larger mean values refer to more positive attitudes toward
seeking professional help.