What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to understand what influences individuals to avoid seeking mental health information, particularly in those with depressive symptoms.

May 6, 2026Health Communication0 citationsOpen Access

Information Avoidance in the Context of Mental Health: Applying the Planned Risk Information Avoidance Model

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ELElena Link AFAnna Freytag

Key Points

This research aims to understand what influences individuals to avoid seeking mental health information, particularly in those with depressive symptoms.
Participants with depressive symptoms were assessed for their information avoidance intentions and influencing factors.
The study refined the Planned Risk Information Avoidance (PRIA) model to analyze predictors of avoidance.
Key predictors included attitudes toward avoidance, subjective norms, cognitive load, and anticipated regret.
The refined PRIA model explained 54.8% of the variance in avoidance intention.
Attitudes and avoidance-related subjective norms were the strongest predictors of information avoidance.
Both cognitive load and anticipated regret were positively related to the intention to avoid seeking information.

Abstract

= 471) among individuals currently experiencing depressive symptoms. The refined PRIA model accounted for 54.8% of the variance in avoidance intention, with attitudes toward avoidance and avoidance-related subjective norms serving as the strongest predictors of avoidance intention. Furthermore, cognitive load and anticipated regret over seeking information were found to be positively related to avoidance. These findings highlight the importance of affective and cognitive predictors and suggest that addressing social norms, attitudes, and regret over seeking may be key to reducing information avoidance and narrowing the mental health treatment gap.

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Cite This Study

Link et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69fadaab03f892aec9b1e6ab https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2026.2666889

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May 6, 2026Health Communication0 citationsOpen Access

Information Avoidance in the Context of Mental Health: Applying the Planned Risk Information Avoidance Model

View Full Paper

ELElena Link AFAnna Freytag

Key Points

This research aims to understand what influences individuals to avoid seeking mental health information, particularly in those with depressive symptoms.
Participants with depressive symptoms were assessed for their information avoidance intentions and influencing factors.
The study refined the Planned Risk Information Avoidance (PRIA) model to analyze predictors of avoidance.
Key predictors included attitudes toward avoidance, subjective norms, cognitive load, and anticipated regret.
The refined PRIA model explained 54.8% of the variance in avoidance intention.
Attitudes and avoidance-related subjective norms were the strongest predictors of information avoidance.
Both cognitive load and anticipated regret were positively related to the intention to avoid seeking information.

Abstract

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Cite This Study

Link et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69fadaab03f892aec9b1e6ab https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2026.2666889

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