The influence of peer support on medical students’ professional psychological help-seeking intention: the chain mediating role of professional psychological help-seeking stigma and self-efficacy

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the path mechanism of professional psychological help-seeking stigma and self-efficacy in the influence of peer support on professional psychological help-seeking intention among medical students. METHODS: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 1,087 medical students for the survey. Data were collected using four standardized instruments: the Peer Support Scale, the Professional Psychological Help-Seeking Intention Questionnaire, the Professional Psychological Help-Seeking Stigma Questionnaire, and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0. Furthermore, a chain mediation model was constructed using Model 6 of the PROCESS 4.0 macro to examine the mediating roles of psychological help-seeking stigma and self-efficacy in the association between peer support and professional psychological help-seeking intention. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that both psychological help-seeking stigma and self-efficacy independently mediated the relationship between peer support and professional psychological help-seeking intention, with effect sizes of 0.078 (95% CI: 0.049–0.111) and 0.064 (95% CI: 0.036–0.095), respectively. In addition, a significant chain mediation effect was observed, with peer support being associated with professional psychological help-seeking intention via a sequential pathway characterised by lower psychological help-seeking stigma and higher self-efficacy. The effect size of this chain mediating pathway was 0.015 (95% CI: 0.007–0.024). CONCLUSION: In summary, peer support, professional psychological help-seeking stigma, and self-efficacy were identified as key factors shaping medical students’ professional psychological help-seeking intention. The findings further highlight that professional psychological help-seeking stigma and self-efficacy jointly function as a chain mediating mechanism through which peer support exerts an influence on students’ professional psychological help-seeking intention.