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Description
More veterans in the United States have died by suicide compared to total combat deaths in the last two major conflicts, and veterans have a higher national suicide rate than non-veterans (31.6 vs 18.0 per 100,000). Psychotherapy is effective at reducing suicidality, but nearly 50% of Americans with mental health needs do not seek help. Barriers to care and stigma reduce willingness to seek help. One method that can increase help seeking is online mental health tools (OMHTs). However, there is limited research regarding the relationship between stigma/barriers, OMHT use, and suicidality. We hypothesized that stigma and barriers are related to higher likelihood of suicidality, stigma and barriers are related to higher likelihood of OMHT use, and OMHT use is related to lower likelihood of suicidality. The sample was 4,435 veterans - 91% male, 75% identified as White non-Hispanic, and average age of 67 years old (ranging from 18 to 101). Veterans served across all major conflicts since WWII and length of service ranged from less than 6 months to over 20 years. The California Health Interview Survey is a population-based state health survey that collects data on a two-year cycle via web and phone interviews. Results of the survey are stored at the Data Access Center (DAC) at University of California – Los Angeles. Syntax code was provided to the DAC who ran the code and then cleaned the data prior to providing output back to the researchers. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests of independence, and logistic regression tests. Stigma/barriers were related to suicidality, endorsing stigma/barriers indicated higher likelihood of using OMHTs, and endorsing suicidality indicated higher likelihood of using OMHTs. Women were more likely to use OMHTs and experience suicidal ideation than men. Veterans serving in more recent conflicts were more likely to experience stigma/barriers, use OMHTs, and experience suicidality than those in earlier conflicts. Findings reinforce the need for research aimed at identifying specific mechanisms to reduce stigma/barriers towards seeking help. OMHTs are a viable option for individuals experiencing stigma/barriers and for individuals who previously experienced suicidality.
