Barriers and Solutions to Seeking Psychotherapy Among Mental Health Professional Trainees—A Qualitative Exploratory Study in India

ABSTRACT Background Mental health professional (MHP) trainees are expected to recognise psychological distress and advocate psychotherapy for others; however, they may face distinct barriers when seeking psychotherapy for themselves. While trainees often possess substantial knowledge about mental health and may hold favourable attitudes towards help‐seeking, these attitudes do not always translate into actual engagement with psychotherapy. Although help‐seeking among mental health professionals has received some attention, less is known about how trainees in the Indian context experience barriers to psychotherapy and what forms of support they consider useful. This study explored the perceived barriers and possible solutions to seeking psychotherapy among mental health professional trainees in India. Methods A qualitative exploratory study design was used. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. The Mental Help Seeking Intention Scale (MHSIS; Hammer & Spiker, 2018) was administered before recruitment as a screening measure to facilitate the selection of trainees with varying levels of intention to seek professional help. 15 MHP trainees participated in in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Results Eight subthemes were generated and organised under two overarching themes. Barriers included monetary and time constraints, limited availability of services, psychological blocks, fear of judgement and confidentiality concerns. Participants identified affordable and accessible high‐quality services, along with changes at institutional, systemic and training programme levels, as potential ways to facilitate help‐seeking. Conclusions MHP trainees may experience personal, institutional and systemic barriers when seeking psychotherapy. The findings may inform trainee‐sensitive institutional policies, accessible support services and mental health provisions within academic and clinical training settings. Trial Registration The study was registered under CTRI (Clinical Trials Registry of India) CTRI/2024/08/071954 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ )