Publication year
2014
Citation Title
Barriers to mental health treatment for military wives.
Journal Name
Psychiatric Services
Journal Volume
65
Issue Number
9
Page Numbers
1170-1173
DOI
10/1176/aapi.ps.201300325
Summary
Military wives face numerous stressors (e.g., frequent moves, spouse’s deployment) that may impact their mental health and also face several barriers to treatment. A sample of military wives was surveyed in order to describe their mental health needs and treatment barriers. Participants reported significant unaddressed mental health needs and listed many barriers to treatment (e.g., scheduling, confidentiality concerns, lack of knowledge of resources) as more problematic than for women in the general population.
Key Findings
A majority of participants reported either mild (27%) or severe depression (51%), and 37% reported serious overall psychological distress.
Many military wives reported mental health treatment needs that had gone unmet (44%).
Participants reported several barriers to treatment included inability to attend daytime appointments, concerns about confidentiality, inability to find a counselor, and stigma surrounding mental health concerns; these barriers were endorsed by a much greater percentage of military wives that by women in a national survey.
Thirty five percent of military spouses were concerned that providers would not understand their unique needs.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate military spouses about mental health disorders, including information about symptoms and treatment and education to decrease stigma
Disseminate information to military couples about mental health disorders and how to identify symptoms in their partner and help their partner seek treatment
Offer classes for military wives about stress management and health-promoting behaviors (e.g., healthy sleep, regular exercise)
Implications for Policy Makers
Reccomend professional development courses for community providers about military culture and the ways it may impact mental health and seeking treatment
Encourage the development of programs that provide support (e.g., transportation, childcare) for military spouses attending mental health treatments
Promote campaigns on military installations to decrease the stigma of mental health treatment
Methods
Military wives experiencing symptoms of depression and general psychological distress were recruited through social networking and through flyers distributed at Oregon armories.
Participants completed online questionnaires assessing depression, general psychological distress, and barriers to receiving mental health services.
Descriptive statistics regarding military wives' mental health needs and barriers were calculated; military wives in the current sample were also compared with women in a national sample of the general population.
Participants
Participants included 569 wives from 45 states and 8 countries with an average age of 29 years.
Military wives identified as White (85%), Black (2%), Asian American (3%), Native American (2%), Latino (7%), or another race (1%).
Participants were primarily living in the U.S. (94%) and the majority had husbands in the Army (58%) and who were Active Duty (87%) and enlisted (83%).
Limitations
Women who chose to participate may have differed from those who did not, particularly with respect to internet access and connection to military support groups.
Participants were significantly more likely (46%) to have deployed husbands than military spouses overall (6%), limiting the generalizability of the findings.
The number of women who started but did not complete the survey was not reported, and women who completed the survey may have differed from women who did.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore military spouses' opinions on how to make mental health care more accessible and less stigmatized
Examine military husbands and how their mental health concerns and barriers to care may differ from military wives
Examine how the mental health concerns and treatment seeking of Service members may effect the mental health concerns and treatment seeking of mililtary spouses
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: An Internet-based survey sought information about barriers to mental health services for military wives. Methods: On the basis of qualitative work, an Internetbased program was created to identify military wives who may have major depressive disorder. Results: Women (N=569, ages 18 to 56) were recruited from 45 states and eight foreign countries.Most participants (78%) reported mild to severe depression. Many (44%) reported unaddressed mental health needs. Barriers included inability to attend daytime appointments (38%), inability to find a counselor who understands the needs of military spouses (35%), inability to find a counselor the participant could trust (29%), concerns about confidentiality (26%), and lack of knowledge about where to get services (25%). The barriers reported differed markedly from those described by distressed women in the general population. Conclusions: Military wives are an underserved population. Knowledge of military culture is essential for civilian mental health providers working with military wives.
Abstract Document
PRTW Document
Attach