Behavioral Intentions Among Saudi Red Crescent Authority’s (SRCA) Active-Duty Paramedics Toward Seeking Psychological Help From Mental Health Professionals

Abstract

Paramedics are among the most vulnerable to mental health disorders. The nature of their profession places them in repeated exposure to unpredictable work-related stressors (e.g., motor vehicle mortalities). Such repeated exposures predispose paramedics to chronic stress and potentially to mental health disorders. The fear of being stigmatized by others, perceived as weak, or suffering career consequences are among the most common barriers that hinder their ability to consider help. The study adapted and further extended the TPB to (a) investigate the levels of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, social and self-stigma, and intentions toward seeking help from mental health professionals among a sample of 184 paramedics in Saudi Arabia; (b) Compare those levels between paramedics with past help-seeking experiences and those without; and (c) Determine the most significant predictors of professional help-seeking intentions among active-duty paramedics in the Kingdom. Self-stigma has emerged as the strongest predictor of professional help-seeking intentions among SRCA paramedics. This significant finding highlighted the urgent need to proactively counter self-stigma within active-duty and future paramedics in Saudi Arabia. The findings provide a foundation for developing culturally sensitive interventions across individual, interpersonal, organizational, and policy levels to promote a supportive mental health culture within the EMS profession in the Kingdom.