The Role of Attachment and Stigma in the Relationship Between Stress and Attitudes Toward Counseling in South Korea

Abstract

Using structural equation modeling, the authors investigated the mediators between stress and attitudes toward seeking professional help among 298 undergraduate students in South Korea. Results indicated that attachment styles (avoidance and anxiety) and stigma (public and self-stigma) mediated the relationship between stress and attitudes toward seeking help. Furthermore, public and self-stigma had different paths depending on attachment styles related to help seeking. Regarding previous counseling experience, differences in the relationships between stress, attachment styles, stigma, and attitudes toward seeking help were evident.