TPC Journal V8, Issue 4- FULL ISSUE

310 The Professional Counselor | Volume 8, Issue 4 used a rigorous stratified random sampling procedure, it is possible that because of the sample size, this sample is not representative of adults in the United States. In addition, self-report bias is a limitation of the present study. Our findings, coupled with existing findings in the literature (Kalkbrenner & Neukrug, 2018; Kalkbrenner et al., in press), suggest that the psychometric properties of the revised version of the FSV Scale are adequate for appraising barriers to seeking counseling among mental health professionals and adults in the United States. The next step in this line of research is to confirm the 3-factor structure of the FSV Scale with populations that are susceptible to mental health disorders and who might be reticent to seek counseling (e.g., veterans, high school students, non-White populations, and the older adult population; Akanwa, 2015; American Public Health Association, 2014; Bartels et al., 2003). Because we did not place any restrictions on sampling based on prospective participants’ history of mental illness, it is possible that the mean differences between participants’ sensitivity to the FSV barriers were influenced by the extent to which they were living with clinical problems at the time of data collection. Thus, future researchers should validate the FSV barriers with participants who are living with psychiatric conditions. Future researchers might also investigate the extent to which there might be differences in participants’ sensitivity to the FSV barriers based on the amount of time they have been in counseling (e.g., the number of sessions). Because of the global increase in mental distress (WHO, 2018), future researchers should consider confirming the psychometric properties of the FSV Scale with international populations. In addition, we found that when gender, ethnicity, and previous attendance in counseling were entered into the MANOVA as independent variables, significant differences in the Value barrier only emerged for attendance in counseling. Therefore, previous attendance in counseling might account for a more substantial portion of the variance in barriers to counseling than gender and ethnicity. Future researchers can test this hypothesis using a path analysis. Summary and Conclusion Attendance in counseling among members of the general U.S. population has become increasingly important because of the frequency and complexity of mental disorders within the U.S. and global populations (WHO, 2017). The primary aim of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the Revised FSV Scale, a questionnaire for measuring barriers to counseling using a stratified random sample of U.S. adults. The results of a CFA indicated that the Revised FSV Scale and its dimensions were estimated adequately with a stratified random sample of adults in the United States. The appraisal of barriers to seeking counseling is an essential first step in understanding why prospective clients do or do not seek counseling. At this stage of development, the Revised FSV Scale appears to have utility for screening sensitivity to three primary barriers (Fit, Stigma, and Value) to seeking counseling among mental health professionals and adults in the United States. Further, the Revised FSV Scale can be used tentatively by counseling practitioners who work in a variety of settings as one way to measure and potentially reduce barriers associated with counseling among prospective clients. Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure The authors reported no conflict of interest or funding contributions for the development of this manuscript.