A Qualitative Investigation of Barriers to Seeking Treatment for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Army Soldiers with a Deployment History

This study aimed to identify barriers to treatment seeking and service utilization among previously deployed Army soldiers who recently experienced a suicidal crisis. Confidential interviews were conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit with 12 Army soldiers with a deployment history following a su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of suicide research 2020-04, Vol.24 (2), p.251-268
Main Authors: Adler, Abby, Jager-Hyman, Shari, Brown, Gregory K., Singh, Tanya, Chaudhury, Sadia, Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Marjan, Stanley, Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Armed forces
Barriers
barriers to treatment
Chaplains
Crises
Deployment
Health behavior
Health services utilization
Help seeking behavior
Inpatient care
Mental disorders
military
Military personnel
qualitative methods
Qualitative research
Resource allocation
Soldiers
Stigma
Suicidal ideation
Suicide
Suicides & suicide attempts
Waiting times
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Summary:This study aimed to identify barriers to treatment seeking and service utilization among previously deployed Army soldiers who recently experienced a suicidal crisis. Confidential interviews were conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit with 12 Army soldiers with a deployment history following a suicidal crisis. Qualitative analysis focused on statements coded as "barriers to seeking help" and "explicit recommendations." Suicidal Army soldiers with a deployment history experienced different barriers to seeking help, including stigma and logistical challenges (e.g., long wait times for appointments). Negative and positive perceptions of support were reported for various resources - for example, family, crisis hotlines, chaplains, and command. Suicidal Army soldiers, interviewed in this study, experienced a number of challenges and frustrations associated with various helping resources. This study highlights the need for greater attention toward understanding these challenges and subsequently addressing them through appropriate resource allocation and additional training for those working directly with Army soldiers at risk for suicide.
ISSN:1381-1118
1543-6136
DOI:10.1080/13811118.2019.1624666