Reducing Barriers to Help-Seeking for Mental Health Problems

This study is investigating how different forms of stigma and discrimination impede soldiers’ and family members’ recognition of and response to mental and behavioral health problems.

The project will:

1. Survey soldiers, family members, and health service providers at three U.S.-based Army posts. Face-to-face and telephone interviews will be conducted and used with public information to map systems of mental and behavioral health policies, practices, and services.
2. Conduct a Web-based survey of a random sample of active-duty soldiers, family members, and service providers to assess responses to vignettes depicting soldiers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, mild traumatic brain injury, depression alcohol/substance abuse, and suicidality.
3. Analyze the data to identify how different forms of stigma and discrimination may impede help-seeking behaviors.

The findings from this action-oriented research will ultimately be used to inform policies and practices to reduce barriers to help-seeking and promote timely recognition and response to the mental and behavioral health problems experienced by soldiers.