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. 2015;3(4):230-239.
doi: 10.1080/21635781.2015.1055866. Epub 2015 Jun 26.

Help-Seeking Stigma and Mental Health Treatment Seeking Among Young Adult Veterans

Magdalena Kulesza  1 , Eric Pedersen  2 , Patrick Corrigan  3 , Grant Marshall  4
Affiliations

Help-Seeking Stigma and Mental Health Treatment Seeking Among Young Adult Veterans

Magdalena Kulesza et al. Mil Behav Health. 2015.

Abstract

Veterans underutilize mental health services. We investigated the association between treatment seeking stigma and utilization of mental health services in a sample of 812 young adult veterans. Higher perceived public stigma of treatment seeking was significantly related to lower treatment utilization. Although many veterans were concerned about negative perceptions if they were to seek treatment, a much smaller number of them endorsed that they would judge a fellow veteran negatively in similar situation. Targeting perceived public stigma of treatment seeking, through perceived norms interventions, might help in narrowing the gap between the need and receipt of help among veterans.

Keywords: barriers to treatment; mental health problems; mental health treatment seeking; mental health treatment utilization; military culture; normative misperceptions; perceived public stigma; public stigma; veterans.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Percent of participants agreeing with perceived stigma and public stigma statements
Note: left statement in pair is perceived stigma item (agreement that statement would affect your decision to seek care for a psychological problem). Right statement in pair is comparable public stigma item (agreement with statement if you knew a [branch and gender-specific] veteran that decided to seek care for a psychological problem).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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