Background: About 15% of women experience peripartum depression, yet most do not seek help. This study aimed to examine stigma, knowledge about peripartum depression, and locus of control as determinants of attitudes toward seeking psychological help in the context of peripartum depression. Method: Pregnant women and mothers with infants up to one year old (N=279) completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Stigma Scale for Receiving Professional Psychological Help (SSRPH), Knowledge about Postpartum Depression Questionnaire (KPPD-Q), Rotter’s I-E Scale (RI-E), and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Results: Higher education, higher perceived socioeconomic status, and previous psychiatric treatment were associated with more positive attitudes toward seeking help. Also, lower public stigma, higher levels of knowledge about postpartum depression, and a more internal locus of control were associated with more positive attitudes toward seeking professional help. However, regression analysis revealed that lower stigma and an internal locus of control were significant predictors of more positive help-seeking attitudes, but not the knowledge. Conclusion: These findings enhance the understanding of predictors of attitudes towards seeking professional help and can help develop practical programs that encourage help-seeking during the peripartum period, targeting stigma and locus of control.

stigma, knowledge, locus of control, help-seeking, peripartum depression