Willingness to Seek Mental Health Treatment: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Female Military Service Members’ Experiences Following a Self-Perceived Mental Health Concern

Willingness to Seek Mental Health Treatment: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Female Military Service Members’ Experiences Following a Self-Perceived Mental Health Concern PDF Author: Ashley M Griffith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 149

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Book Description
Background: Women comprise a growing proportion of the United States Armed Forces; yet, their unique experiences related to seeking mental health treatment have largely gone unexplored in the literature. While women experience higher rates of mental health disorders and seek treatment more frequently, they have conveyed unique concerns related to their decisions to utilize mental health treatment. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the shared, lived experience of female activity duty service members' willingness to seek mental health treatment and the factors that influenced their willingness, in the military mental health care system, following a self-perceived mental health concern. Methods: I conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews with seven, purposively sampled individuals ranging in age from 22 to 50 years old for a total of 14 interviews. Each participant reported she had served on active duty since 2008 and had experienced a self-perceived, mental health concern during that time. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Military Stigma Scale, and two separate interviews. All interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis with a social constructivism framework. Results: Three main themes were identified as contributing to the willingness to utilize mental health treatment: organizational factors, other individuals' experiences, and personal experiences. Within each theme, participants expanded upon the influence of the messages received at differing levels, as well as the interactions with others regarding mental health treatment. These themes emphasized the influence of the social context in which these decisions are made. Discussion: Overall, female service members perceive that the military has made positive changes, which provide greater opportunity and support for treating mental health concerns. However, if service members continue to not seek services, we must work to understand what is continuing to prevent those actions and encourage treatment seeking behaviors. In our sample of service women, concerns about career repercussions and pervasive negative views of women were especially salient barriers. Continuing to ask service members what factors influence their decision to seek treatment, finding ways to improve perceptions of female service members, and increasing the transparency of the mental health treatment process and impacts could further increase rates of treatment seeking.

Willingness to Seek Mental Health Treatment: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Female Military Service Members’ Experiences Following a Self-Perceived Mental Health Concern

Willingness to Seek Mental Health Treatment: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Female Military Service Members’ Experiences Following a Self-Perceived Mental Health Concern PDF Author: Ashley M Griffith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 149

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Book Description
Background: Women comprise a growing proportion of the United States Armed Forces; yet, their unique experiences related to seeking mental health treatment have largely gone unexplored in the literature. While women experience higher rates of mental health disorders and seek treatment more frequently, they have conveyed unique concerns related to their decisions to utilize mental health treatment. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the shared, lived experience of female activity duty service members' willingness to seek mental health treatment and the factors that influenced their willingness, in the military mental health care system, following a self-perceived mental health concern. Methods: I conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews with seven, purposively sampled individuals ranging in age from 22 to 50 years old for a total of 14 interviews. Each participant reported she had served on active duty since 2008 and had experienced a self-perceived, mental health concern during that time. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Military Stigma Scale, and two separate interviews. All interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis with a social constructivism framework. Results: Three main themes were identified as contributing to the willingness to utilize mental health treatment: organizational factors, other individuals' experiences, and personal experiences. Within each theme, participants expanded upon the influence of the messages received at differing levels, as well as the interactions with others regarding mental health treatment. These themes emphasized the influence of the social context in which these decisions are made. Discussion: Overall, female service members perceive that the military has made positive changes, which provide greater opportunity and support for treating mental health concerns. However, if service members continue to not seek services, we must work to understand what is continuing to prevent those actions and encourage treatment seeking behaviors. In our sample of service women, concerns about career repercussions and pervasive negative views of women were especially salient barriers. Continuing to ask service members what factors influence their decision to seek treatment, finding ways to improve perceptions of female service members, and increasing the transparency of the mental health treatment process and impacts could further increase rates of treatment seeking.

An Phenomenological Study Exploring the Experiences of Active-duty Servicemembers Seeking Mental Health Treatment

An Phenomenological Study Exploring the Experiences of Active-duty Servicemembers Seeking Mental Health Treatment PDF Author: Philip Clinton Allen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Medicine, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of active-duty servicemembers regarding mental health stigma and help-seeking behavior. Due to the trauma of intense combat, military servicemembers experience mental health problems at an alarming rate, and despite increased awareness and access to mental health resources, they are still reluctant to seek treatment. This study explored the lived experiences of military servicemembers with an aim to address the following research question: “How do military service members experience overcoming mental health stigma and decide to seek treatment while still on active duty?” Thirteen participants from the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps were administered interviews inquiring into their experiences with mental health via Zoom and phone. Themes emerged in two categories: “Stigma” and “Overcoming Stigma.” The associations of common themes between the two categories that included 50% or more of the 13 participants are presented. The three strongest themes participants recounted as factors that led to deciding to seek mental health services were the realization that professional help is needed to address mental health concerns, personal growth in deciding to seek mental health services and trust in others. Because of the intrinsic motivational nature of these factors, the researcher concluded that overcoming stigma is unteachable. However, there are practical ways to reduce external stigma in the military, including educating military leaders, servicemembers, and family members about mental health and the need for treatment if warranted.

The Lived Experience of Military Women with Chronic Pain

The Lived Experience of Military Women with Chronic Pain PDF Author: Sandra Worthington Peppard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Chronic pain
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Purpose/Aims: This qualitative study was conducted to describe the lived experience of military women with chronic pain. This study aims to (a) explore a typical day with chronic pain and (b) examine meaning through the participant's life experiences. Background: Chronic pain, a persistent or recurrent pain lasting more than 3 months. It is a widespread problem among military servicemembers and veterans. Following deployment, 25% of military women are at risk for chronic pain. Returning from deployment, 44% experience chronic pain and 15% use opioids; in the general population, 26% experience chronic pain and 4% use opioids. Post-deployment stressors and combat-related injuries place military populations at risk for opioid addiction; military women are prescribed opioids for pain at a higher rate. Military women have documented risk factors associated with chronic pain including their gender, mental health, posted traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], and prior physical or military sexual trauma [MST]. There is a paucity of research on the daily lived experience of military women with chronic pain. Methods: This study utilized the van Manen's approach to investigate the lived experience. Approximately 13 adult participants were recruited including active duty, retired, and/or veteran women experiencing chronic pain. Semi-structured digitally recorded Zoom interviews and demographic data information were compiled. Sample size was adjusted to achieve saturation. Results: Eight themes emerged from the analysis of participants' experiences: (a) struggles with living with chronic pain is a frustrating, persistent, daily, and even hourly; (b) resilience in living with chronic pain is a new normal; (c) mission first and the impact of invisible pain; (d) self-care management and internal locus of control in using non-pharmacological therapies;(e) pain accepted and managed to improve quality of life, (f) COVID-19 diminished social interaction; (g) pain of military sexual trauma is not reported; (h) disparities in health care due to self-perception of providers' bias as pain is not understood. Transcripts and data were analyzed and utilized NVivo (OSR International) qualitative software. Implications: The results of this phenomenological study generated new knowledge in Force Health Protection: (a) a fit and operational readiness force; (b) pre-to post-deployment care for women warriors; (c) access to health care. New knowledge was generated for civilian and military nursing who care for military and veteran women to influence military leaders and policy makers in Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs, raise health care professionals' awareness, and understand military women living with chronic pain in both military and non-military communities. Future studies are needed to explore unconscious gender bias and health disparities as well as raise health-care professional's awareness of military women with chronic pain.

Mental Health Stigma and Military Spouses

Mental Health Stigma and Military Spouses PDF Author: Lori Hermosillo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Military spouses
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
Approximately one-third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans develop mental health problems, yet only 35-40% of those with mental disorders are seeking mental healthcare (Hoge, et al., 2004; Vogt, 2011). Military spouses may be an important resource for facilitating treatment seeking (Warner, et al., 2008), especially if service member mental health issues are impacting the marriage. Military spouses might be hesitant to encourage service member help-seeking, however, due to perceived threat of adverse military career consequences. For this study, 62 military wives completed an online survey. As part of the survey, participants were randomly assigned to one of four vignettes containing a description of a hypothetical military husband with mental health symptoms. Each vignette presented different combinations of marital conflict (high versus low) and service member concerns about adverse career consequences (high versus low). Wives rated on a five-point scale how likely they were to encourage the hypothetical military husband to seek help. It was hypothesized that spouses would be more willing to encourage help-seeking when concerns about adverse military career consequences were low and marital distress was high. No main effects or interaction effect were found for marriage and career. Perceived stigma about seeking mental health treatment in the military, psychological identification as a military spouse, and experience and familiarity with military mental healthcare policies failed to moderate the relationship between marital conflict, career concerns, and encouragement of help-seeking. Correlational analyses revealed that (1) greater experience with military mental healthcare (first- or secondhand), and (2) greater perceptions of stigma regarding seeking mental healthcare in the military each were associated with decreased perceptions of military supportiveness of mental healthcare. Therefore, although the experimental manipulation in this study did not lead to differences in military spouses' encouragement of a hypothetical military service member to seek mental health services, other findings based on participants' actual experiences suggest that experiences with military mental healthcare may generate or reinforce negative perceptions of military mental healthcare. Altering actual experiences with military mental healthcare, in addition to perceptions of stigma, may be a useful area of intervention for military service members and spouses.

The Behavioral Health of Minority Active Duty Service Members

The Behavioral Health of Minority Active Duty Service Members PDF Author: Eunice C. Wong
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781977405654
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
Behavioral health disparities, in which socially disadvantaged groups such as racial/ethnic minorities, women, and sexual orientation minorities experience greater risk for certain mental health and substance use problems, are well documented in the general population. Less is known about whether similar behavioral health disparities exist among military service members. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) wanted to understand whether the behavioral health disparities seen in the civilian population also exist in the military, which is important to help DoD target its efforts to address the needs of service members and improve force readiness. To investigate this issue, RAND researchers examined the following: (1) whether minority group service members are more likely to experience mental health and substance use problems relative to their majority counterparts in the military and (2) whether minority-majority group differences in behavioral health within the military are similar or different from those in the civilian population. Any minority-majority group differences observed in the military were tested to see if they remain after accounting for sociocultural environmental factors (e.g., demographics, social support, harassment). Identifying where behavioral health disparities exist among military minority service groups and the factors that may be associated with observed disparities can help DoD better target efforts to address the behavioral health needs of its troops. Further, if minority group disparities are greater in the military than in the civilian population, this might signal the presence of factors specific to the military context that may exacerbate minority group service members' risk for behavioral health conditions. The study used data from the 2015 Health Related Behavior Survey (HRBS), the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the 2015 and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and the 2015 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Behavioral health conditions included mental health (i.e., depression, suicide behaviors, posttraumatic stress disorder) and substance use (i.e., problematic alcohol use, tobacco use) outcomes.

Culture and PTSD

Culture and PTSD PDF Author: Devon E. Hinton
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812247140
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 440

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Book Description
Culture and PTSD examines the applicability of PTSD to cultural contexts beyond Europe and North America and details local responses to trauma and how they vary from PTSD as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.

Posttraumatic Growth

Posttraumatic Growth PDF Author: Richard G. Tedeschi
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131552743X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 420

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Book Description
Posttraumatic Growth reworks and overhauls the seminal 2006 Handbook of Posttraumatic Growth. It provides a wide range of answers to questions concerning knowledge of posttraumatic growth (PTG) theory, its synthesis and contrast with other theories and models, and its applications in diverse settings. The book starts with an overview of the history, components, and outcomes of PTG. Next, chapters review quantitative, qualitative, and cross-cultural research on PTG, including in relation to cognitive function, identity formation, cross-national and gender differences, and similarities and differences between adults and children. The final section shows readers how to facilitate optimal outcomes with PTG at the level of the individual, the group, the community, and society.

Women who Have Served in the Military

Women who Have Served in the Military PDF Author: Beatrice A. Lavrov
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description


Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis PDF Author: Jonathan A Smith
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1446203891
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
′It is not often I can use "accessible" and "phenomenology" in the same sentence, but reading the new book, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis...certainly provides me the occasion to do so. I can say this because these authors provide an engaging and clear introduction to a relatively new analytical approach′ - The Weekly Qualitative Report Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is an increasingly popular approach to qualitative inquiry. This handy text covers its theoretical foundations and provides a detailed guide to conducting IPA research. Extended worked examples from the authors′ own studies in health, sexuality, psychological distress and identity illustrate the breadth and depth of IPA research. Each of the chapters also offers a guide to other good exemplars of IPA research in the designated area. The final section of the book considers how IPA connects with other contemporary qualitative approaches like discourse and narrative analysis and how it addresses issues to do with validity. The book is written in an accessible style and will be extremely useful to students and researchers in psychology and related disciplines in the health and social sciences.

Handbook of Clinical Interviewing With Adults

Handbook of Clinical Interviewing With Adults PDF Author: Michel Hersen
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1452261784
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 513

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Book Description
"Clinical interviewing with adults is both an art and a science. This handbook will appeal to a wide range of clinical researchers, therapists, interns, and graduate students new to the complexities of the clinical interview and diagnostic process. The comprehensive range of topics and coverage that includes case illustrations with dialogue and differential diagnosis and co morbidity will be highly attractive features to researchers, professional therapists, and graduate students. The Hersen and Thomas team is highly qualified to succeed in this ambitious set of three projects." —Carolyn Brodbeck, Chapman University The Handbook of Clinical Interviewing with Adults is one of three interrelated handbooks on the topic of interviewing for specific populations. It presents a combination of theory and practice plus concern with diagnostic entities for readers who work, or one day will work, with adults in clinical settings.The volume begins with general issues (structured versus unstructured interview strategies, mental status examinations, selection of treatment targets and referrals, writing up the intake interview, etc.), moves to a section on major disorders most relevant to adult clients (depression, bipolar disorder, agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual dysfunction, etc.), and concludes with a chapter on special populations and issues (neurologically impaired patients, older adults, behavioral health consultation, etc.).