Non-providers’ attitudes related to offering behavioral healthcare

It is anticipated that behavioral health (BH) support will be limited in future deployed environments. The new BH GEAR training was developed to train non-behavioral health providers (NBHPs) to manage BH needs, bridging this gap. However, it is unknown if NBHPs experience negative beliefs toward offering BH support. This study investigated if these negative attitudes occur among NBHPs and associated factors. As part of a larger study, 86 NBHPs, completed a pre-training and post-deployment survey. Participants were also surveyed on stigma toward receiving BH care, training, their scope of work, demographics, and unit characteristics. Few NBHPs endorsed negative attitudes toward offering BH help (10.6%-23.6%). Negative attitudes toward offering BH care were significantly associated with lower team cohesion, less BH-related training, greater stigma toward receiving BH care, barriers to care and self-reliance, and the belief that BH care is not in their scope of work. When controlling for all significant factors, greater stigma toward receiving BH care and self-reliance, and less team cohesion was predictive of negative attitudes. No association was found between negative attitudes toward offering BH care and discussing BH issues with soldiers post-deployment. There was no significant difference in attitudes pre-training and post-deployment. Units will rely on NBHPs in future environments for BH support, thus it is crucial to understand factors which may inhibit care. Factors that bolster team cohesion and reduce stigma may help to reduce any negative attitudes NBHPs' have toward offering BH help to their soldiers, increasing readiness and mission success.