Meshberg-Cohen Sarah, Kachadourian Lorig, Black Anne C, Rosen Marc I
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, Psychology Service/Department of Psychiatry, 116A West Haven, CT 06516, United States; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, United States.
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, Psychology Service/Department of Psychiatry, 116A West Haven, CT 06516, United States; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, United States.
Addict Behav. 2017 Nov;74:9-12. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.05.024. Epub 2017 May 23.
Veterans in distress often do not seek mental health treatment, even when such services are available. Substance use may further undermine treatment-seeking, given its association with negative treatment views. This study examined attitudes towards seeking psychological help in a sample of veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with and without co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD).
Altogether, 143 male OEF/OIF veterans filing service-connected benefits claims for PTSD completed the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF) and other baseline assessments. Treatment attitudes were compared among veterans with (n=34) and without (n=109) SUD using ANCOVA, controlling for demographic covariates. Post-hoc ANCOVA compared means on the two ATSPPH-SF subscales: Openness to Seeking Treatment, and Value/Need in Seeking Treatment.
Overall, ATSPPH-SF scores were similar to those reported in other samples of young men. Controlling for demographic covariates, veterans with co-occurring SUD held significantly less favorable attitudes towards seeking help than veterans without comorbid SUD. In subscale analyses, valuation of treatment was significantly lower among veterans with SUDs, but openness towards treatment was not.
Substance-using veterans' lower valuation of treatment may reflect opinions that problems resolve on their own, psychotherapy is ineffective, or concerns that SUDs complicate treatment. Thus an approach towards engaging these veterans in treatment that addresses a general skepticism towards the value of psychological help is warranted.
处于困境中的退伍军人往往不寻求心理健康治疗，即使有此类服务。鉴于物质使用与负面治疗观念相关联，它可能会进一步阻碍寻求治疗的行为。本研究调查了被诊断患有创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）且有或无并发物质使用障碍（SUD）的退伍军人样本中对寻求心理帮助的态度。
共有143名因PTSD申请与服役相关福利的男性OEF/OIF退伍军人完成了《寻求专业心理帮助态度简表》（ATSPPH-SF）及其他基线评估。使用协方差分析（ANCOVA）比较有SUD（n = 34）和无SUD（n = 109）的退伍军人之间的治疗态度，并控制人口统计学协变量。事后协方差分析比较了ATSPPH-SF两个分量表上的均值：寻求治疗的开放性以及寻求治疗的价值/需求。
总体而言，ATSPPH-SF得分与其他年轻男性样本中报告的得分相似。在控制人口统计学协变量后，并发SUD的退伍军人对寻求帮助的态度明显不如无共病SUD的退伍军人积极。在分量表分析中，有SUD的退伍军人对治疗的重视程度显著较低，但对治疗的开放性则不然。
使用物质的退伍军人对治疗的较低重视程度可能反映出他们认为问题会自行解决、心理治疗无效，或者担心SUD会使治疗复杂化。因此，有必要采取一种方法，让这些退伍军人参与治疗，解决他们对心理帮助价值的普遍怀疑态度。
