title: Help-seeking among airmen in distressed relationships: Promoting relationship well-being.
abstract: Although a substantial proportion of service members returning from a combat deployment report individual emotional and behavioral disorders as well as intimate relationship difficulties, previous studies indicate that only a minority actually seek mental health services. Little is known about factors that predict help-seeking in this population. We first review key findings from the literature on help-seeking in military and veteran populations, including mixed findings regarding the role of perceived stigma and attitudes toward mental health treatment. We then present data from a longitudinal study of United States Air Force Security Forces following a year-long high-risk deployment to Iraq-including findings regarding who seeks help, for what problems, and from which providers. We also examine whether these findings differ for Airmen in a married or committed relationship versus nonpartnered Airmen and, for the former group, whether findings differ for those in a distressed versus nondistressed relationship. Finally, we discuss implications of these findings for extending couple-based interventions to service members and veterans, and describe a multitiered "stepped" approach for promoting relationship resiliency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University.
authors.forename: Douglas K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-State University of New York.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balderrama-Durbin
authors.affiliation: School of Professional Psychology, Wright State University.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cigrang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventative Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
authors.forename: G Wayne
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Talcott
authors.affiliation: Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care, New York University.
authors.forename: Amy M Smith
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Slep
authors.affiliation: Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care, New York University.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Heyman
mesh_terms: D005191:Family Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D057545:Social Stigma; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data