Published in:
Open Access
01-10-2020 | Mood Disorders | Original Paper
Symptom Severity, Self-efficacy and Treatment-Seeking for Mental Health Among US Iraq/Afghanistan Military Veterans
Authors:
Mary Keeling, Nicholas Barr, Hazel Atuel, Carl A. Castro
Published in:
Community Mental Health Journal
|
Issue 7/2020
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Abstract
Military veterans have high rates of mental health problems, yet the majority do not seek treatment. Understanding treatment-seeking in this population is important. This study investigated if symptom severity and self-efficacy are associated with treatment-seeking among US Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. Survey data from 525 veterans meeting clinical criteria for PTSD and depression were included of which, 54.4% had sought treatment in the past 12 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that high symptom severity was associated with treatment seeking, whereas high self-efficacy was associated with a decreased likelihood to seek treatment. Self-efficacy could be an underlying mechanism of treatment seeking decisions.