Burnout and Self-stigma of Seeking Psychological Help in Military Healthcare Providers

Military healthcare providers (HCPs) are tasked with maintaining the military’s mission readiness while balancing the roles of being providers and military members themselves. As such, military HCPs serve in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, ships, and austere environments. Military HCPs may experience a host of occupational stressors, such as long deployments, being in the line of fire, seeing dead or injured comrades, responding to mass casualty events, having excessive caseloads, and working prolonged hours. These factors make military HCPs susceptible to burnout. Unfortunately, stigma of seeking psychological help is prevalent in the military and may deter individuals from seeking the psychological help they need. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between burnout and self-stigma of seeking psychological help in military HCPs to include behavioral health and medical providers, as influenced by, but not limited to, military status (e.g., civilian or military), gender, and profession. Findings from this study revealed a significantly positive relationship between burnout and self-stigma of seeking psychological help and a significantly negative relationship between being a behavioral-health provider and burnout. All other hypotheses were not supported. Results from this study can offer guidance to inform policy and improve wellness and self-care programs for providers. Explanations of the results, limitations of the study, and future implications are also discussed