Effects of a Brief Video Intervention on Attitudes Toward Counseling Services

Psychol Rep. 2023 Apr;126(2):967-983. doi: 10.1177/00332941211051994. Epub 2021 Dec 28.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of a brief video intervention on attitudes toward counseling services. Two hundred and seventy-seven participants were divided into four groups (anxious-preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, fearful-avoidant, and secure) by their attachment scores. Then, the participants of each group were randomly assigned to three conditions (stigma-reducing, utility-enhancing, and control). A split-plot factorial design was performed to examine the intervention effects. The results indicate that the stigma-reducing video intervention was more effective for the anxious-preoccupied group, whereas the utility-enhancing video intervention was more effective for the dismissive-avoidant group than other groups. These results suggest the importance of implementing strategies tailored to each attachment group.

Keywords: adult attachment; attitudes toward counseling; professional help; stigma; utility.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Anxiety* / psychology
  • Attitude
  • Counseling*
  • Fear
  • Humans
  • Object Attachment
  • Social Stigma