Military Mental Health Issues
POSITION PAPER
ON
ERADICATING STIGMA WITH SEEKING HELP FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
1. This position paper will cover how the military is plagued with a problem of having a stigma surrounding receiving mental health assistance. The solutions that the military should establish are better self-help tools for unit members, hire more mental health providers, and develop more effective mental health screening. The best solution that the military should focus on is hiring in house mental health providers that build a trust for unit members.
2. There are policies that counter the support of getting seen for mental health. Consequently, 12 percent of certain military policy documents cast a view of getting mental health help as a negative impact for that service member.1 A major flaw in the mental healing process is the service member’s command requiring to know the status of their mental …show more content…
The best solution to the problem when it comes to mental health is to tap into the trust of a military unit.9 If a professional or well-trained representative could be at the unit level to screen for mental health concerns, it would encourage unit members to cast aside their fear and get help.10 Mental health screening questions are commonly asked when getting seen for physical ailments or through hour long surveys. Frequently, the answers to the questions are quickly faked in order to get a clean bill of health.11 Commanders do not always have to be in the loop, unless it involves the member possibly hurting themselves or another member. The military should also establish walk-in hours for these representatives instead of waiting for appointments so that they are always available. By being more locally involved, it would be helpful for the professionals to inquire on any of the unit members’ well-being instead of answering a computer screen. It would be greatly beneficial to have a representative on call at all times to be there for a unit member who is having harmful
ON
ERADICATING STIGMA WITH SEEKING HELP FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
1. This position paper will cover how the military is plagued with a problem of having a stigma surrounding receiving mental health assistance. The solutions that the military should establish are better self-help tools for unit members, hire more mental health providers, and develop more effective mental health screening. The best solution that the military should focus on is hiring in house mental health providers that build a trust for unit members.
2. There are policies that counter the support of getting seen for mental health. Consequently, 12 percent of certain military policy documents cast a view of getting mental health help as a negative impact for that service member.1 A major flaw in the mental healing process is the service member’s command requiring to know the status of their mental …show more content…
The best solution to the problem when it comes to mental health is to tap into the trust of a military unit.9 If a professional or well-trained representative could be at the unit level to screen for mental health concerns, it would encourage unit members to cast aside their fear and get help.10 Mental health screening questions are commonly asked when getting seen for physical ailments or through hour long surveys. Frequently, the answers to the questions are quickly faked in order to get a clean bill of health.11 Commanders do not always have to be in the loop, unless it involves the member possibly hurting themselves or another member. The military should also establish walk-in hours for these representatives instead of waiting for appointments so that they are always available. By being more locally involved, it would be helpful for the professionals to inquire on any of the unit members’ well-being instead of answering a computer screen. It would be greatly beneficial to have a representative on call at all times to be there for a unit member who is having harmful