Social Problem Solving as a Predictor of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Care and Medical Care Among Veterans

Abstract

Attitudes toward seeking health care, particularly mental health care, are significantly affected by stigma. Stigma surrounding mental health care is a particularly poignant issue for military veterans who are returning home in need of both medical and psychological care. The present study aimed to investigate whether social problem solving plays a role in perceptions of stigma and subsequent attitudes toward seeking both mental health care and medical care among veterans. Social problem solving was found to be a significant predictor of psychological openness, a subscale of the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS) assessing the extent to which one is open about recognizing a problem and seeking help for that difficulty. These findings suggest that programs aimed at improving social problem solving skills may help veterans seek necessary care.