Understanding Mental Health Help-Seeking Through the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Evidence from Adult Populations and Perinatal Military Spouses and Partners

Taylor, Ashley (2026) Understanding Mental Health Help-Seeking Through the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Evidence from Adult Populations and Perinatal Military Spouses and Partners. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Perinatal mental health (PMH) difficulties are common and associated with significant risks for parents and infants. However, many individuals experiencing PMH difficulties do not seek professional support. This thesis portfolio examines mental health help-seeking through the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), with a particular focus on perinatal help-seeking among UK military spouses and partners, a population at increased risk and facing additional barriers to care. The portfolio comprises two studies. First, a systematic review and multivariate multilevel meta-analysis synthesised quantitative evidence examining the association between TPB constructs and adult mental health help-seeking intentions and behaviours. Across 38 studies, all three TPB constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control [PBC]) were significantly associated with intentions, with attitudes demonstrating the strongest and most consistent association. Only attitudes were associated with help-seeking behaviours, although analyses were limited by a small number of studies. Results also indicated substantial heterogeneity, highlighting variability in construct operationalisation, and publication bias, particularly for PBC. Secondly, an empirical study applied the TPB model to examine PMH help-seeking intentions among 361 UK military spouses and partners. Only attitudes toward help-seeking were significantly associated with intentions, though the strength of the association was small. Additionally, the TPB constructs explained only a small proportion of variance. These findings suggest that while attitudinal beliefs contribute to help-seeking, the TPB may not fully capture the complex PMH help-seeking process among military spouses and partners. The portfolio identifies important theoretical and clinical implications and recommends the integration of TPB with broader models that capture non-linear processes and contextual influences on help-seeking

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	09 Nov 2026 10:52
Last Modified:	09 Nov 2026 10:52
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/105009
DOI:

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