Assessing the Psychometric Properties of the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form in Mainland China

This investigation tested the psychometric properties of the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF; Fisher and Farina [Journal of College Student Development, 36, 368-373, 1995]) in a sample of 338 Mainland Chinese college students. Using back-translation, the ATSPPH-SF was translated into simplified Chinese. Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original one-factor model. Subsequently, exploratory factor analysis suggested a 7-item, two-factor model; however, the new factor structure yielded poor reliability coefficients, below . 60. Results suggest that the help-seeking construct as operationalized by the ATSPPH-SF may not be valid for the Chinese population. The importance of designing indigenous instruments for help-seeking attitudes is discussed.