skip to page content
Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website
Publication Briefs

Study Reviews Mental Health Treatment Seeking among OIF National Guard Soldiers


FINDINGS:

  • Approximately one-third of 424 OIF National Guard soldiers in this study reported post-deployment mental health treatment through military, VA, or other sources; however, 51% of soldiers who screened positive for PTSD and 40% who screened positive for depression did not report involvement in mental health treatment.
  • Of the 34.7% who reported receiving mental health services, 22.9% had received psychotherapy only, 4.5% received psychiatric medications only, and 7.3% had received both.
  • Reported treatment-seeking was more common among soldiers who screened positive for either PTSD or depression.
  • Injury in-theater, illness-based need (e.g. presence and severity of mental illness), and mental health treatment in-theater were significantly associated with both self-reported psychotherapy and medication treatment-seeking.
  • More positive attitudes regarding mental health treatment were associated with greater reported utilization of both psychotherapy and medication.
  • Findings indicate that while concerns about stigma were present, they were not associated with reported treatment-seeking behavior.

BACKGROUND:
Other investigators have reported that only 23% to 40% of OEF/OIF troops who screened positive for PTSD, depression, or generalized anxiety received potentially needed mental health care within three to four months post-deployment. However, it is unclear whether findings from largely active duty samples extrapolate to National Guard and Reserve units. This study sought to determine the rate of reported mental health treatment-seeking in 424 returning OIF National Guard soldiers - and to examine potential barriers to and facilitators of treatment-seeking. All soldiers in this study were part of one National Guard brigade. Investigators analyzed data from self-report surveys mailed to study participants three to six months after they returned from a mean of 16.3 months of deployment. The main outcome measure was mental health treatment-seeking, which included military, VA and other psychotherapy and psychopharmacotherapy since returning from Iraq. Other variables assessed were: overall perceived health, combat experiences and perceived threat, thoughts and beliefs about seeking mental health services, and perceived barriers to and stigma related to treatment.

LIMITATIONS:

  • Results are based on self-report and are limited to one National Guard brigade of 2600 individuals, of whom only 16.3% participated in the study.

AUTHOR/FUNDING INFORMATION:
Drs. Kehle, Polusny, and Murdoch are part of HSR&D's Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research in Minneapolis, MN.


PubMed Logo Kehle S, Polusny M, Murdoch M, et al. Early Mental Health Treatment-Seeking Among U.S. National Guard Soldiers Deployed to Iraq. Journal of Traumatic Stress February 2010;23(1):33-40.

Related Briefs

» next 224 Mental Health Briefs...


» next 93 OEF/OIF Briefs...


What are HSR Publication Briefs?

HSR requires notification by HSR-funded investigators about all articles accepted for publication. These journal articles are reviewed by HSR and publication briefs or summaries are written for a select number of articles that are then forwarded to VHA Central Office leadership to keep them informed about important findings or information. Articles to be summarized are selected by HSR based on timeliness of the findings, interest of leadership, or potential impact on the organization. Publication briefs are written for only a small number of HSR published articles. Visit the HSR citations database for a complete listing of HSR articles and presentations.


Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.