Military Mental Health Stigma Challenges: Policy and Practice Considerations

All providers are challenged to reduce mental health stigma through awareness of service member mental health needs and advocacy. Individually stigmatizing perceptions and beliefs that interfere with mental health care become internalized into a service member's identity, persisting in veterans after military service. Years to decades can pass before a service member seeks professional help for psychological problems, and, therefore, practitioners need to be sensitive to subtle indications of distress. Furthermore, care that supports military members is culturally sensitive, innovative, and taps into resources for evidence-based interventions that maximize function and quality of life for service members and their families.