Reducing the Stigma of Help-Seeking Behavior
Abstract
The stigma of mental healthcare and other fortified barriers to care are age old and seemingly enduring without meaningful organizational change. Stigmas towards mental healthcare are not unique to the armed forces, increasing the importance of developing an organizational propensity towards positive coping mechanisms. This monograph identifies multiple gaps in behavioral health theory supporting the current CSF program and approach to reduce barriers to care within the Army. These theoretical gaps require additional studies to validate the CSF program and to identify the true link between the stigma of health seeking behavior and mental health disorders. The CSF program, aimed at building resilient fighting formations, must be realistically scoped with a manageable sample size and variables to provide organizational leaders practical empirical data. Behaviors displayed by formal leaders within an organization percolates conclusively, achieving overarching influence if verbal/nonverbal cues are reciprocated and adopted by the population. A leader's influence can become a catalyst for social change or deviance if behaviors are replicated by this guided coalition or corrected by organizational members. For leaders to reduce barriers to care within their organizations, they must acknowledge those perceptions and incorporate inclusive policies and procedures promoting healthy coping mechanisms and help seeking behavior amongst organizational members. An organization absent of this promotion and continued negative attitudes regarding mental healthcare will continue to act as risk factors decreasing help-seeking behavior.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 23, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1083425
Entities
People
- Jeremy L. Herron
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College