Self-Stigma as a Barrier to Seeking Mental Health Care for Veterans

Military veterans often recognize the mental health symptoms they experience; however, they may be reluctant to seek treatment due to social and military-culture stigmas. Soldiers who have returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan are reported to have experienced a high rate of psychological problems, which has enhanced the need for qualified mental health professional support and treatment. However, a gap exists in the literature regarding the psychological effects that soldiers endure in combat conditions and the accompanying social, professional, and cultural stigmas attached to seeking treatment for these symptoms. The purpose of this non experimental, multiple correlation-regression study was to determine if potential relationships exist among variables such as self-stigma, gender, and number of deployments, and if so, which variables are most influential in predicting military veterans' help-seeking attitudes toward mental health services. Link's modified labeling theory was the theoretical lens for this study. A sample of 93 military veterans from mobilization and demobilization processing centers located in the Northeast was assessed using the Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale and the Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. The results indicated that self- stigma and numbers of deployments were the best predictors for the regression model, with self-stigma contributing the most significantly associated with military member's attitudes toward seeking treatment for mental health symptoms. These results can contribute to military veterans and service providers' understanding of how stigma affects the decision to seek treatment and to reduce resistance to utilizing treatment.