Resistance, reactance, and misinterpretation: Highlighting the challenge of persuading people with depression to seek help

Interventions that increase help-seeking among people with depression have the potential to save lives. Several efforts have been impressively successful; however, research has also chronicled inconsistent results, with some endeavors indicating boomerang effects. The goal of the current analysis is to synthesize select findings from cognitive theorizing on depression with persuasion scholarship to explain how and why the combination of unfavorable attitudes toward help-seeking, attitudes that are increasingly resistant to influence, psychological reactance, and cognitive errors can result in challenging responses to messages encouraging help-seeking among people with depression. In addition, we highlight the importance of utilizing theory-based approaches to circumvent resistance to persuasion and provide an explanation as to why the provision of immediate help-seeking mechanisms could be a key aspect of successful intervention efforts. We also stress the importance of formative research and pilot testing, and warn against the potentially harmful error of assessing messages targeting people with depression on those without heightened levels of depressive symptomatology. Ideally, this effort will draw attention to the challenge of persuading people with depression to seek help and also motivate social psychologists to consider the ways they can use their craft to positively influence the health and well-being of people with depression.