Veterans' mental health beliefs: Facilitators and barriers to primary care-mental health use.
BACKGROUND
The Veterans Health Administration (VA) Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) program aims to increase availability and acceptability of mental health (MH) care by integrating these services into primary care. Little is known about veterans' perceptions of this of method MH care delivery. This study explored the range of veterans' beliefs and perceptions of MH and MH services with the aim of describing potential facilitators and barriers to the uptake of PC-MHI services.


METHODS
Team-based qualitative analysis of proceedings from focus groups. Participants included 41 veterans from across service eras. Focus groups were organized by service era and use of PC-MHI services. Codes pertaining to beliefs about MH and MH treatment were identified, grouped into subthemes, and then larger organizing themes. Barriers and facilitators to treatment seeking were identified.


RESULTS
Although our study was focused on veteran perceptions of PC-MHI, participants did not appear to discriminate between PC-MHI and other MH services when discussing their decisions to seek services. Facilitators and barriers to MH treatment-seeking included systems, personal and social influences. Stigma was mentioned infrequently relative to other beliefs.


CONCLUSIONS
Veterans with and without experience of PC-MHI services described a variety of beliefs about MH without regard to whether this service location. These findings suggest that while integration increases access, it may not in itself decrease some barriers to seeking treatment. These findings suggest that more work is needed to address the way potential PC-MHI patients decide whether or not to engage in care. (PsycINFO Database Record
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare.
Laura O
LO
Wray
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare.
Emily
E
Pikoff
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare.
Paul R
PR
King
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare.
Dezarie
D
Hutchison
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare.
Gregory P
GP
Beehler
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare.
Stephen A
SA
Maisto
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000592:standards; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*