U.S. Marine Corps Veterans' Perceptions of Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious issue for post-deployment United States Marine Corps (USMC) veterans, especially because PTSD can increase the risk of suicide. Marines are screened post-deployment, yet little is known about Marine veterans’ perceptions of the PTSD screening process. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore USMC male veterans’ perceptions of the Post- Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA). The social cognitive theory constructs of a triadic relationship among person, environment, and behavior were the framework for understanding this population’s perceptions of the PDHRA and potential stigma. Two research questions focused on how people, culture, and behavior affect Marines perception of the PDHRA and PTSD attached stigma. Interviews were conducted with 10 Marine veterans’ participants and transcribed interview responses were input into NVivo 11 software to retain a reliable database and Colaizzi’s strategy to identify emerging themes. Key findings revealed potential positive social change to military chaplains and veterans’ health service providers. This knowledge might inform about the perceptions of Marines through informed understanding and may help develop an updated evaluation tool. Future researchers might focus on the forthcoming answers and treatment of PTSD and the attached stigma among Marines by alleviating repercussions for Marines’ answers on the PDHRA. An understanding of the study’s findings may elicit strategies for health care administrators to expound on the PDHRA and provide educational programs to assist in future screening environments and processes through Marines perspectives