Document Type : Original Article
Researchers
1 student
2 department of psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
Ministerial Ethics Committee
This grounded-theory qualitative study investigates barriers and facilitators of mental health help-seeking among Iranian general practitioners (GPs). Healthcare workers, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, face high rates of burnout, depression, and suicide risk, yet often underutilize mental health services. Help-seeking is broadly defined to include formal, informal, and self-help methods and is viewed as a multi-stage decision process influenced by contextual, causal, and intervening factors.
The study aims to develop a data-driven theoretical model explaining how help-seeking behaviors arise among GPs and what factors enable or hinder these behaviors. Using purposive snowball sampling, practicing GPs in Khorasan province will be recruited. Data will be collected via semi-structured interviews lasting about 60 minutes, conducted in person or online, with field notes and ethical protections such as informed consent and confidentiality.
Analysis will follow Strauss and Corbin’s grounded-theory approach, involving open, axial, and selective coding conducted alongside data collection. This iterative method will identify categories, core variables, and develop an integrated theoretical framework. Triangulation and member checking will ensure the study’s credibility and trustworthiness.
The study’s findings aim to inform targeted interventions, policies, and programs to improve help-seeking behaviors among physicians. Enhancing these behaviors is expected to promote physicians’ mental well-being and positively impact the quality of healthcare services they provide to patients.