Many service members prefer not to discuss mental health concerns in general because of concerns about being disqualified for service and/or penalized with their military benefits or opportunities.
As a result, the US Defense Department has started a campaign to fight stigma and to encourage support-seeking by improving confidentiality relating to mental health treatment in and outside the military.
Please watch these videos and read the articles below for more information about fighting military mental health stigma:
Dept of Defense
Disputing the Stigma of Mental Health:
Military Mental Health.org
Stigma of Seeking Help in the Military:
Please read the following articles to learn more about recent efforts from the US Department of Defense and the White House to reduce military mental health stigma and to promote access to mental health services and treatment:
- Executive Order � “Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families, The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, August 31, 2012
- DoD Instruction 6490.08, “Command Notification Requirements to Dispel Stigma in Providing Mental Health Care to Service Members, US Department of Defense, August 17, 2011
- “The Military’s War on Stigma”, Sadie Fingfelder, Monitor on Psychology
, American Psychological Association, June 2009