1 Factors Influencing Individuals' Decision to Utilize Mental Health in South Texas Submitted by James Dada A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Grand Canyon University Phoenix Arizona March 25, 2020 Chapter 2: Literature Review Introduction Hester (2017) noted that there is a huge gap between patients experiencing mental health illnesses and individuals who access treatment in the United States. As a result, there is the need to identify the factors that influence individuals to seek or not to utilize or not to utilize mental health services. Kohn et al., (2018) expressed the need for more studies to establish why people suffering from mental illnesses avoid getting treatments. Platt, Wolf & Scheitle, (2018) suggested that more studies need to be conducted to determine why individuals decide to utilize or reject mental health services. This study aims to evaluate the factors influencing an individuals' decision to utilize or reject mental health services in South Texas. Background of the Problem Sampogna et al., (2017), found that mental health is one of the major public health concerns in the United States. However, there is a considerable gap in research as to why people utilize or reject the treatment of mental health. According to Stanley, Hom & Joiner, (2018) there are numerous factors that influence people to utilize mental health services. Additionally, Irteja et al., (2020), indicated the need for more studies to be conducted to establish the factors that influence people to seek mental health services. This problem has a long history In the United States dating back to when mental health services were established in the country (Calear et al., 2017). A lot has been done over the years to encourage individuals to utilize mental health services. Most notable, mental health America was established in 1909n to help address major mental health issues at the time including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Dementia (Chang & Biegel, 2018). Historically, mental health was described as mental hygiene, a term used since 1843. At the time research indicated that mental hygiene would work best through religion, culture, and education (Chang & Biegel, 2018). Theoretical Foundations/Conceptual Framework and Review of the Literature/Themes Theoretical literature Social cognitive theory is used to address the gap identified in this research. According to Kohn et al., (2018), social cognitive theory can be applied to encourage people experiencing mental health problems to utilize mental health services. This theory describes how individuals believes and the environment influence people’s behaviors. The theory holds that people’s believes affect how people behave. The theory suggests that people need to have the skills to be able to perform some behaviors. Regarding utilization or rejection of mental health services, behavioral capability can help people to chang.