Longitudinal Predictors of Self-Reliance for Coping with Mental Health Problems in the Military

Self-reliance, the preference for coping with symptoms on one’s own rather than seeking mental health care, can be a major barrier to treatment-seeking in the military. In the present longitudinal study, we found that soldiers were more likely to endorse self-reliant preferences when they had less positive and more negative beliefs about mental health care as well as more stigmatizing perceptions of soldiers who seek treatment. Efforts to reduce self-reliance and increase treatment-seeking should emphasize the benefits of treatment as opposed to handling problems oneself, as well as encouraging positive perceptions of those who seek treatment