Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention.
Departments of Psychiatry.
Med Care. 2021 Feb 1;59:S23-S30. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001480.
The extent to which female veterans are willing to seek Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and non-VHA care when they are suicidal or experiencing mental health (MH) concerns is unknown.
The objectives of this study were to: (1) examine whether current, past, and never VHA using female veterans' willingness to seek VHA care differs from their willingness to seek non-VHA care if suicidal or experiencing MH symptoms; (2) examine if VHA use, military sexual trauma, and suicidal ideation and attempt are associated with female veterans' willingness to use VHA and non-VHA care when experiencing suicidal thoughts or MH symptoms.
A cross-sectional anonymous survey.
Four hundred thirty nine female veterans, including current, past, and never VHA users were included.
General Help-Seeking Questionnaire, Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview, and the VA Military Sexual Trauma Screening Questions.
Current VHA users reported more willingness to use VHA than non-VHA care; conversely, past and never VHA users reported less willingness to use VHA care relative to non-VHA care. Military sexual assault and none or past VHA use were associated with lower willingness to use VHA care if suicidal or experiencing MH symptoms. In contrast, those with none or past VHA use reported greater willingness to use non-VHA care if suicidal or experiencing MH symptoms, while prior suicide attempt was associated with lower willingness.
Ensuring that acceptable and effective suicide prevention services are available to female veterans in both VHA and community settings is critical. Increasing help-seeking intentions among female veterans who have attempted suicide or experienced military sexual assault is also essential.
女性退伍军人在自杀或出现心理健康（MH）问题时，寻求退伍军人健康管理局（VHA）和非 VHA 护理的意愿程度尚不清楚。
本研究的目的是：（1）考察当前、过去和从未使用过 VHA 的女性退伍军人在自杀或出现 MH 症状时，寻求 VHA 护理的意愿是否与寻求非 VHA 护理的意愿不同；（2）考察 VHA 使用、军事性创伤和自杀意念及尝试是否与女性退伍军人在出现自杀想法或 MH 症状时使用 VHA 和非 VHA 护理的意愿相关。
横断面匿名调查。
纳入了 439 名女性退伍军人，包括当前、过去和从未使用过 VHA 的退伍军人。
一般求助意愿问卷、自伤意念和行为访谈以及 VA 军事性创伤筛查问题。
当前 VHA 用户报告更愿意使用 VHA 而非非 VHA 护理；相反，过去和从未使用过 VHA 的用户报告更不愿意使用 VHA 护理而非非 VHA 护理。军事性创伤和从未或过去使用 VHA 与自杀或出现 MH 症状时更不愿意使用 VHA 护理相关。相比之下，从未或过去使用过 VHA 的退伍军人报告更愿意在自杀或出现 MH 症状时使用非 VHA 护理，而过去的自杀尝试与较低的意愿相关。
确保在 VHA 和社区环境中为女性退伍军人提供可接受和有效的自杀预防服务至关重要。增加曾自杀或经历过军事性创伤的女性退伍军人的求助意愿也至关重要。
