Mental Health Stigma In The Military

Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one

Over the last decade, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have drastically increased the need for effective mental health services and treatment for U.S. veterans and service members, especially those suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nearly 1.5 million American service members have been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) since the attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001 (Price, Gros, Strachan, Ruggiero, & Acierno, 2013). Approximately 25% of soldiers and wounded warriors returning home from OEF/OIF present with mental illness due to combat-related violence and other trauma exposure (Steinberg & Eisner, 2015). According to Price and colleagues (2013), OEF/OIF soldiers and veterans are at greater risk for developing mental illness compared to others who served in past military operations.

PTSD is not easily treated. Sometimes people can not only suffer mentally but have physical impairments from the event as well. This can make it hard for them to obtain the treatment they need. A combination of medications and psychotherapy is usually recommended and is the most effect form of treatment for PTSD. The earlier a person seeks treatment for this disorder the better the outcome will be. The medications are used to help people cope with their emotions while the psychotherapy will help

Combat veterans are among the highest at risk for issues in transitioning form military life to civilian. Many potentially suffer from both physical and/or mental traumas. Many veterans and even active duty services members have allowed the unofficial culture of if you need mental or medical help you are weak. Many military families are also afraid of utilizing family support mechanisms out of fear of

There is concern about military service members receiving stigma about getting or needing treatment in the area of mental health. Stigma occurs when individuals view others negatively because they have been labeled or identified as having a deviant behavior against societal norms; deviant behaviors such as mental illnesses or diagnoses uncommon or harmful to others. How does that impact the military? Military men and women alike are termed heroes, warriors, and survivors; this is quite the reputation to keep up. Military members go to war or deploy to hostile combat environments, which many come back with severe mental illnesses and diagnosis that need immediate care. At this point they may not feel like a hero. The terms psychological, mentally ill, PTSD, and behavioral health has gained a reputation as having or being a problem. Being labeled a problem is not what service members want. Many studies are trying to pinpoint the problem and resolve the stereotypes associated with getting treatment. Consequently, an individual’s attitude toward mental health treatment is thought to be affected by other people’s views on mental health care (Held & Owens, 2012).

2. Mental health issues in the USAF are associated with a stigma which affects how Airmen seek treatment and care. This problem is self-stigma, which according to Patrick Corrigan and Deepa Rao, develops when a person believes the discrimination and prejudice applied to them is in fact truth.1 Self-stigma leads to lowered self-esteem and diminished self-efficacy.2 Self-efficacy is a person’s belief of one’s

“The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is home to the United States’ largest integrated health care system” (Mason e.t. al 2016). Because of technological and medical advancement, surviving injuries from war has lead to a greater need for post deployment and discharge care. I often hear the phrase “Freedom is not free”; the mental health of our active duty soldiers and veterans is one area that ends up costing America. Some lose time with their families, some are injured physically and mentally, and some lose their lives.

The wars of Iraq and Afghanistan have not only renewed the appreciation for our nation’s military, but it has also raised awareness about the sacrifices and the culture that is produced through the ranks in uniform and also amongst veterans. While it is important to note how the Department of Defense, and The Department of Veteran Affairs have significantly ramped up their efforts to address and identify the transitional problems that affect many veterans, barriers to treatment remain along with the challenge to provide successful outreach through benefits and mental health services to the Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), veteran population.

According to a study constructed by JAMA Psychiatry, a medical journal published by the American Medical Association, explained that one out of five soldiers, who have enlisted into the military have suffered from a mental disorder (Hastings). With this statistic, there are doubts regarding the military’s assessments of the enlisted. Matthew Nock, a Harvard University psychologist, led a study on mental disorders in the military, and concluded that

Upon learning from a Connecticut National Guard recruiter that I was ineligible to enlist in any branch of the United States Armed Forces due to a chronic illness that will require medication indefinitely, I was devastated. However, despite this devastation, it was my desire to serve and to be a part of the military culture that became the driving force behind the decision to become a certified Military Service Members, Veterans and Their Families – Advanced Social Worker (MVF-ASW). Even though this career does not involve being on the front lines, I can still provide direct services to the children of active duty service members as they navigate the extended deployments, frequent moves and strained familial relationships. Even though this particular credential is not mandatory to work as a youth services coordinator on a military base, it is recommended because it will provide me with the specialized knowledge and understanding of military culture that can help me to be a more effective social worker in this particular field.

This is a troubling notion because this shows the damage that an existing stigma can do without the victim actually experiencing it. I was watching a war movie where the soldiers were discussing how they hoped to not end up like one of the soldiers in their unit. They said they didn’t want to end up “madder than a goddamn hatter”. This is the social engagement that shapes a person’s beliefs about trauma beforehand and may play a role in them not engaging in mental health services. Several participants in the study claimed reluctance to seek treatment to avoid the “insane” label. Most of the veterans were well aware of the public’s stereotypes stigmatized labels such as “unstable,” “crazy,” and “violent.” They claim to be ostracized by strangers and viewed as “outcasts” and accepted by their peers. “But when you talk to other veterans, it’s like you have a level of understanding of knowledge that everybody else doesn’t have, you know. They’ve had those same similar experiences so it feels more real, I guess” (Mittal et al., 2013). This quote struck me because it is a first-hand account of a veteran that doesn’t feel a connection to the country he fought for. This quote reminds me of the Van der Kolk story of a psychologist getting a group of veterans together for therapy. They didn’t want to talk but they eventually opened up about their horrific experiences and bonded with one another. The soldiers ended up getting the doctor numerous

My hopes are that by gaining a social work education, I will be able to help address the tensions I have with the literature by working with veterans and their families to remedy said barriers to care. Whether working for a local community mental health organization, or the VHA, I can use the skills I’m learning in my educational program to help rural veterans find the care they so deserve.

A service member’s emotional and psychological issues are not like malfunctions of a piece of equipment and must not be treated as a troubleshooting problem in a technical manual. And yet this seems to be the only way the military, as a whole, knows how to address the issue of a service members mental health. It requires a holistic approach that is not currently embraced by the military. Historically, the military has been ill-equipped to handle the shifting nature of the psychological issues created by introducing a service member to the battlefield.

Veterans willing to participate in psychiatric screenings and services along with their families, preferably through the Veterans Administration, can receive the support and guidance they need to promote an ongoing healthy civilian life transition. America’s heroes need not suffer in silence and

The military population is a unique population with many unique needs. The military population also requires specialization that many behavioral health professionals do not specialize in. This lack of specialization creates a large need for behavioral health professionals that are educated in military culture. Thus, social work based practices are a large benefit to the military population due to its unique and broad areas of specialization. Social workers not only provide clinical services to clients, but they advocate and provide resources to clients. This provision of services makes social work based practices well suited for the military population and it’s not only unique but large and varying needs. Even though military social work is specialized, there is a large need for more social work based mental and emotional health services for the military population since the population faces unique needs and challenges that social workers can help in meeting.