Although the U.S. Government Accountability Office reports that over 2 million Veterans received mental health treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2006 through 2010, only 50% of returning Veterans who need mental health treatment will actually receive those services.
Barriers to treatment for mental health issues include:
- Embarrassment about service-related mental disabilities
- Long wait times to receive mental health treatment
- Shame over needing to seek mental health treatment
- Fear of being seen as weak
- Stigma associated with mental health issues
- A lack of understanding or lack of awareness about mental health problems and treatment options
- Logistical problems, such as long travel distances in order to receive mental health care
- Concerns over the veteran mental health treatment offered by the VA
- Demographic barriers and false perceptions based on these demographics such as age or genderIt is much more likely that Veterans seeking mental health treatments will look for that care outside the VA system. In 2005, 22% of Veterans went for help in the private sector rather than getting help from the VA.
(From the National Veterans Foundation)