ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychopathology
This article is part of the Research TopicEmotional Impulsivity and Emotion Regulation Deficits as Important Factors in Clinically Challenging Behaviors in Psychiatric Disorders, Volume IIView all 7 articles
EXTERNALIZING AND SELF-STIGMA The Role of Self-Stigma in Mediating the Association Between Externalizing and Treatment-Seeking Intention
Provisionally accepted
- University of Missisippi, Oxford, United States
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Self-stigma occurs when an individual internalizes and accepts the stereotypes and negative views of mental illness endorsed by the public. High levels of self-stigma negatively predict treatment-seeking intention, but little work has examined how self-stigma functions specifically among individuals with tendencies toward impulsivity. The current study implemented structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate whether self-stigma as operationalized by the MHSIS model mediated the relationship between externalizing proneness and the intention to seek mental health treatment. Using data from community participants (N=394) preselected for the presence of impulse control problems (e.g., ADHD, alcohol use) and mental health concerns, externalizing was weakly negatively associated with the intention to seek treatment. Externalizing proneness was associated with higher levels of self-stigma, particularly at the later stages (i.e., application); however, self-stigma did not appear to mediate the association between externalizing and reduced treatment seeking intention. This study informs how self-stigma exists across the externalizing spectrum and may serve as a transdiagnostic target for intervention.
Keywords: self-stigma, externalizing proneness, treatment-seeking intention, Structural Equation Modeling, Mediation
Received: 15 Aug 2025; Accepted: 25 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Davis and Drislane. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Brianna N. Davis
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