Utilization of Mental Health Care among Israeli Veterans

Abstract

Military personnel are at high risk of exposure to traumatic events and its' outcomes. Despite efforts to provide mental health services, utilization of treatment remains low. In this study, we examined the impact of negative attitudes toward treatment, stigma and organizational barriers on treatment seeking among veterans previously serving in the Israeli military (n=161). We asked soldiers questions about stigma, organizational barriers, negative attitudes, symptoms of depression anxiety and PTSD and whether they sought treatment. Approximately 36% were currently experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD, while 73% of the sample did not seek treatment. We found that organizational barriers to care and depression scores are inversely associated with treatment seeking. Future research should examine whether the above factors predict treatment seeking among veterans from other non-western countries.