TY - JOUR

T1 - Help-seeking in people with exceptional experiences

T2 - results from a general population sample

AU - Landolt, Karin

AU - Wittwer, Amrei

AU - Wyss, Thomas

AU - Unterassner, Lui

AU - Fach, Wolfgang

AU - Krummenacher, Peter

AU - Brugger, Peter

AU - Haker, Helene

AU - Kawohl, Wolfram

AU - Schubiger, Pius August

AU - Folkers, Gerd

AU - Rössler, Wulf

PY - 2014/5/21

Y1 - 2014/5/21

N2 - Background: Exceptional experiences (EE) are experiences that deviate from ordinary experiences, for example precognition, supernatural appearances, or déjà vues. In spite of the high frequency of EE in the general population, little is known about their effect on mental health and about the way people cope with EE. This study aimed to assess the quality and quantity of EE in persons from the Swiss general population, to identify the predictors of their help-seeking, and to determine how many of them approach the mental health system. Methods: An on-line survey was used to evaluate a quota sample of 1580 persons repre- senting the Swiss general population with respect to gender, age, and level of education. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to integrate help-seeking, self-reported men- tal disorder, and other variables in a statistical model designed to identify predictors of help-seeking in persons with EE. Results:Almost all participants (91%) experienced at least one EE. Generally, help-seeking was more frequent when the EE were of negative valence. Help-seeking because of EE was less frequent in persons without a self-reported mental disorder (8.6%) than in per- sons with a disorder (35.1%) (ORD5.7). Even when frequency and attributes of EE were controlled for, people without a disorder sought four times less often help because of EE than expected. Persons with a self-reported diagnosis of mental disorder preferred seeing a mental health professional. Multinomial regression revealed a preference for healers in women with less education, who described themselves as believing and also having had more impressive EE. Conclusion: Persons with EE who do not indicate amental disorder less often sought help because of EE than persons who indicated a mental disorder.We attribute this imbalance to a high inhibition threshold to seek professional help.Moreover, especially less educated women did not approach the mental health care system as often as other persons with EE, but preferred seeing a healer.

AB - Background: Exceptional experiences (EE) are experiences that deviate from ordinary experiences, for example precognition, supernatural appearances, or déjà vues. In spite of the high frequency of EE in the general population, little is known about their effect on mental health and about the way people cope with EE. This study aimed to assess the quality and quantity of EE in persons from the Swiss general population, to identify the predictors of their help-seeking, and to determine how many of them approach the mental health system. Methods: An on-line survey was used to evaluate a quota sample of 1580 persons repre- senting the Swiss general population with respect to gender, age, and level of education. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to integrate help-seeking, self-reported men- tal disorder, and other variables in a statistical model designed to identify predictors of help-seeking in persons with EE. Results:Almost all participants (91%) experienced at least one EE. Generally, help-seeking was more frequent when the EE were of negative valence. Help-seeking because of EE was less frequent in persons without a self-reported mental disorder (8.6%) than in per- sons with a disorder (35.1%) (ORD5.7). Even when frequency and attributes of EE were controlled for, people without a disorder sought four times less often help because of EE than expected. Persons with a self-reported diagnosis of mental disorder preferred seeing a mental health professional. Multinomial regression revealed a preference for healers in women with less education, who described themselves as believing and also having had more impressive EE. Conclusion: Persons with EE who do not indicate amental disorder less often sought help because of EE than persons who indicated a mental disorder.We attribute this imbalance to a high inhibition threshold to seek professional help.Moreover, especially less educated women did not approach the mental health care system as often as other persons with EE, but preferred seeing a healer.

KW - Psychology

KW - Exceptional experiences

KW - Epidemiology

KW - Exceptional experiences

KW - Help-seeking

KW - Psychiatric disorder

KW - Public health

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84926642330&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00051

DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00051

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 24904915

VL - 2

JO - Frontiers in Public Health

JF - Frontiers in Public Health

SN - 2296-2565

IS - MAY

M1 - 51

ER -