ArticleBJPsych open2020
Barriers and facilitators for treatment-seeking for mental health conditions and substance misuse: multi-perspective focus group study within the military.
Article in BJPsych open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of military lifestyle on the health of military personnel and Veterans with chronic pain: A meta-synthesis.Journal of military, veteran and family health · 2025Pooled it
- In What Ways Does Health Related Stigma Affect Sustainable Employment and Well-Being at Work? A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2022Pooled it
- Social support and treatment utilization for posttraumatic stress disorder: Examining reciprocal relations among active duty service members.Journal of traumatic stress · 2023Trial
- Review
- Military culture and collaborative decision-making in mental healthcare: cultural, communication and policy considerations.BJPsych open · 2023Article
- Access to psychosocial support for church-going young people recovering from drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe: a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Article
- Dutch workers' attitudes towards having a coworker with mental health issues or illness: a latent class analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Article
- Barriers and facilitators for treatment-seeking for mental health conditions and substance misuse: multi-perspective focus group study within the military - CORRIGENDUM.BJPsych open · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGlobally, millions are exposed to stressors at work that increase their vulnerability to develop mental health conditions and substance misuse (such as soldiers, policemen, doctors). However, these types of professionals especially are expected to be strong and healthy, and this contrast may worsen their treatment gap. Although the treatment gap in the military has been studied before, perspectives of different stakeholders involved have largely been ignored, even though they play an important role.
aimsTo study the barriers and facilitators for treatment-seeking in the military, from three different perspectives.
methodIn total, 46 people participated, divided into eight homogeneous focus groups, including three perspectives: soldiers with mental health conditions and substance misuse (n = 20), soldiers without mental health conditions and substance misuse (n = 10) and mental health professionals (n = 16). Sessions were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was done by applying a general inductive approach using ATLAS.ti-8.4.4 software.
resultsFive barriers for treatment-seeking were identified: fear of negative career consequences, fear of social rejection, confidentiality concerns, the 'strong worker' workplace culture and practical barriers. Three facilitators were identified: social support, accessibility and knowledge, and healthcare within the military. The views of the different stakeholder groups were highly congruent.
conclusionsBarriers for treatment-seeking were mostly stigma related (fear of career consequences, fear of social rejection and the 'strong worker' workplace culture) and this was widely recognised by all groups. Social support from family, peers, supervisors and professionals were identified as important facilitators. A decrease in the treatment gap for mental health conditions and substance misuse is needed and these findings provide direction for future research and destigmatising interventions.
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