Help-Seeking Among Psychiatrically Hospitalized Military Personnel at Risk For Suicide

Abstract

Background: Promoting help-seeking is a suicide prevention strategy. Limited research has examined types and perceived helpfulness of resources sought, and how multiple determinants (e.g., mental health [MH] treatment stigma, perceived social support) influence help-seeking among suicidal Service members. Methods: Participants were active duty Service members (N=111) hospitalized for a suicide-related event. Secondary analyses described the types and helpfulness of resources sought 30-days before hospitalization, and examined associations among types of helping resources, MH treatment stigma, and perceived social support. Results: The most frequently sought resources included behavioral health providers and friends. Generally, helping resources were considered helpful. Adjusting for covariates, MH treatment stigma was not associated with seeking or not seeking help from any resource type. Higher perceived social support was associated with greater likelihood of help-seeking from a friend (OR=1.08, p=.013 [95 percent CI=1.02, 1.14]). Conclusion: Understanding factors that influence help-seeking from different types of resources may expand care and prevent suicidal crises.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 03, 2021
Accession Number
AD1186121

Entities

People

  • Laura A. Novak

Organizations

  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • African Americans
  • Army Personnel
  • Brain Injuries
  • Demography
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Depression
  • Diseases
  • Education
  • Families (Human)
  • Health
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Homosexuality
  • Hospitals
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Disorders
  • Mental Health
  • Mental Health Services
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Personnel
  • Minority Groups
  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.