Workplace Mental Health Help-Seeking in Guangzhou: The Roles of Organisational Support, Social Support, Mental Health Literacy, and Social Face Consciousness

Abstract

Mental health challenges in the workplace have become increasingly significant, particularly in rapidly urbanizing economies such as China. This study investigates the influence of perceived organisational support, social support, and mental health literacy on employees’ attitudes toward help-seeking and their intention to seek mental health counseling in Guangzhou. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior and supported by recent mental health literacy and stigma literature, the study also examines the moderating role of social face consciousness and the mediating role of help-seeking attitudes. A quantitative research design was employed using a structured survey and analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings reveal that all three antecedent variables significantly enhance help-seeking attitudes, which in turn strongly predict counseling intention. Mental health literacy emerged as the most influential predictor, while social face consciousness significantly weakened the relationships between support variables and attitudes. The mediation results confirmed that attitudes toward help-seeking act as a critical psychological pathway linking resources to behavioral intention. The study highlights that while organizational and social support systems are essential, cultural stigma remains a major barrier to mental health service utilization. The findings contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by emphasizing the need for integrated, culturally sensitive workplace mental health strategies in China.