An Assessment of Beliefs About Mental Health Care Among Veterans ...
Psychiatr Serv 58:1358-1361, October 2007
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.58.10.1358
© 2007 American Psychiatric Association
Brief Report
An Assessment of Beliefs About Mental Health Care Among Veterans Who Served in Iraq
Tracy Stecker, Ph.D., John C. Fortney, Ph.D., Francis Hamilton, M.P.H. and Icek Ajzen, Ph.D.
OBJECTIVE: This study assessed beliefs about mental health treatment in a group of soldiers newly returning from the war in Iraq. METHODS: Participants were 20 National Guard soldiers who had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Soldiers who in phone interviews screened positive for a mental disorder were asked about advantages and disadvantages of seeking treatment, who would or would not support treatment seeking, and facilitators and barriers to treatment seeking. RESULTS: Stigma was portrayed as a major disadvantage to treatment seeking. Yet most participants indicated that people would be supportive of treatment seeking. Reducing symptoms was a major advantage of care. Barriers, especially those viewed as "self-induced," such as pride, not being able to ask for help, and not being able to admit to having a problem, were considered major impediments. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that interventions developed to engage veterans in care must be directed toward cognitive factors that motivate treatment seeking.
go there to read the full report if you can.
You know a rant is coming from me on this.
When the hell will they get it? When will they understand there is nothing wrong with them other than they are normal humans exposed to abnormal conditions? If it has more to do with idiots standing in their way of healing then they should just walk right over the mud dwellers!
I've heard enough of their kind over the years to know there is no basis for what they believe other than Neanderthals must have had more sympathy than these people do. The effects of combat on a human have been documented all the way back in ancient history and if they have failed to learn anything from history, it is their problem.
Over 300 million people live in this country. We have about 25 million veterans and only 17 million combat veterans. Think of how rare they are. Then think about another fact. People exposed to natural disasters get PTSD. People who are victims of crimes get PTSD. People who work in law enforcement and the emergency departments get PTSD. It takes humans exposed to trauma and that is it. It also requires people who can feel. Maybe those who deny PTSD is real and love to belittle those with PTSD, lack the ability to feel? Maybe they are so selfish, so self-centered, they cannot see past themselves, see other people suffering or even care.
There is no reason to retain the tag of stigma when it comes to PTSD. The ancient Greek and Roman warriors suffered the same symptoms but the VA did not exist. There was no support system for them or psychologists but what they did have was the support of the people around them or no one would have talked about what they were going through and we would have never know how old PTSD is. It's been called by different titles but the results have been the same for generations.
Kathie Costos
I wrote my book because of the "stigma" I said to my friend "somebody has got to do something" he paused, looked at me and said "you're somebody". I refused any help until I was so low I had to look up to see the curb.
ReplyDeleteTimothy Kendrick
PTSD:Pathways Through the Secret Door
ISBN 1430313196
I've been fighting these people, who have no clue, for 25 years and there is no excuse left for them to use. For them to say it has anything to do with anything other than a human exposed to trauma, they may be just too dumb to learn. It's their problem, not the veteran's problem. I think it takes a lot more courage to go for help to heal.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing I found over the years is that those who speak out against people with PTSD, usually have it themselves but are too afraid to face it. It's happened at least twenty times to people I came up against.
Glad you're out there fighting them too.