Roche Rosellen, Manzi Joel, Bard Katelyn
Department of Primary Care, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cleveland, OH.
J Patient Cent Res Rev. 2021 Apr 19;8(2):134-139. eCollection 2021 Spring.
Due to the expansion of leadership roles in the military for women, female military personnel now face stressors equal to, and yet unique from, their male counterparts. This pilot study surveyed 73 female U.S. Army officers regarding their experiences of leadership and mental wellness within the military. A mixed-methods survey was distributed via 2 private Facebook groups for female Army officers following an anonymized convenience sampling. This anonymous, patient-centered protocol was used to protect against known stigma surrounding disclosing mental health concerns in the military. Respondents were asked a series of questions including perceived mental health status and access to behavioral health services. Most respondents reported feelings of stress related to their roles as officers (86.6%). Self-reported feelings of anxiety (83.6%) and depression (65.7%) were high. In contrast, only 30.1% had ever received a formal diagnosis of anxiety or depression by a mental health professional. Our survey confirmed a large percentage, 65.7% of respondents, reported avoiding mental/behavioral health services. Female military officers are able to recognize their feelings as symptoms of anxiety and depression; however, many take active steps to hide these symptoms from their family members and senior officers and avoid seeking professional care.
由于军队中女性领导角色的扩大，女性军事人员现在面临着与男性同行相当但又独特的压力源。这项试点研究调查了73名美国陆军女性军官在军队中的领导经历和心理健康状况。通过两个面向陆军女性军官的私人Facebook群组，采用匿名便利抽样的方式分发了一份混合方法调查问卷。这种以患者为中心的匿名方案用于防止军事环境中围绕披露心理健康问题的已知污名化现象。受访者被问及一系列问题，包括感知到的心理健康状况和获得行为健康服务的情况。大多数受访者报告称，与她们作为军官的角色相关存在压力感（86.6%）。自我报告的焦虑感（83.6%）和抑郁感（65.7%）很高。相比之下，只有30.1%的人曾被心理健康专业人员正式诊断为焦虑症或抑郁症。我们的调查证实，很大比例（65.7%）的受访者报告称避免使用心理/行为健康服务。女性军事军官能够将自己的感受识别为焦虑和抑郁的症状；然而，许多人采取积极措施向家人和高级军官隐瞒这些症状，避免寻求专业护理。
