Exploring Gender and Symptom Differences in Perceived Barriers to Mental Health Care among Actively Serving Military Personnel

Abstract

Despite efforts over past years to reduce barriers to seeking military mental health care and supports, there are still service members who do not access care due to perceived barriers. This study aimed to increase understanding of the different types of barriers across groups defined by gender and mental health symptomatology. Multivariable logistic regressions examined perceived unmet needs and barriers to care in a representative sample of actively serving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members who completed the Health and Lifestyle Information Survey (HLIS) 2013/2014. The most commonly reported barriers were attitudinal barriers reflecting stigma and negative attitudes toward treatment. Results indicated that women were more likely to report accessibility barriers (e.g., scheduling, childcare issues) than men. Differences were also observed across members suffering from different mental health symptoms. For example, members who reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were less likely to report attitudinal barriers compared to members without probable PTSD. Additionally, education and base size were associated with perceived barriers. These results suggest that tailored policies and strategies may help to increase access and mitigate barriers to mental health care based on gender and the type of mental health issue experienced by military personnel.