Barriers and facilitators to mental healthcare for women veterans: a scoping review. 2023

Lauren Rose Godier-McBard, and Abigail Wood, and Manjana Kohomange, and Graham Cable, and Matt Fossey
Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, United Kingdom.

Traditionally, veteran research and support have centred on the requirements of a predominantly male population. However, as female participation in the Armed Forces increases and their roles diversify, consideration of women's unique mental health needs is imperative. Women veterans are at greater risk of post-service mental health challenges than their male counterparts, and female mental health outcomes have deteriorated in recent years. To determine the provenance of these outcomes, a scoping review considering both barriers and facilitators to female veteran participation in mental health services was conducted. A review was carried out following the 2020 Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review framework. Twenty-four papers were identified, with all but one originating from the US. This research indicated that whilst women experience barriers common to male veterans (e.g. help-seeking stigma), they also experience unique gender-specific barriers to accessing mental healthcare services (e.g. lack of gender-sensitive treatment options, feeling uncomfortable) and such barriers result in under-utilization of services. Literature indicates that consideration and mitigation of these barriers might improve access and health outcomes for women veterans. Further research is required outside the US to understand the barriers to mental healthcare experienced by women veterans internationally.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008603 Mental Health Emotional, psychological, and social well-being of an individual or group. Mental Hygiene,Health, Mental,Hygiene, Mental
D008605 Mental Health Services Organized services to provide mental health care. Mental Hygiene Services,Health Services, Mental,Services, Mental Health,Services, Mental Hygiene,Health Service, Mental,Hygiene Service, Mental,Hygiene Services, Mental,Mental Health Service,Mental Hygiene Service,Service, Mental Health,Service, Mental Hygiene
D008889 Military Personnel Persons including soldiers involved with the armed forces. Air Force Personnel,Armed Forces Personnel,Army Personnel,Coast Guard,Marines,Navy Personnel,Sailors,Soldiers,Submariners,Military,Force Personnel, Air,Personnel, Air Force,Personnel, Armed Forces,Personnel, Army,Personnel, Military,Personnel, Navy,Sailor,Soldier,Submariner
D003695 Delivery of Health Care The concept concerned with all aspects of providing and distributing health services to a patient population. Delivery of Dental Care,Health Care,Health Care Delivery,Health Care Systems,Community-Based Distribution,Contraceptive Distribution,Delivery of Healthcare,Dental Care Delivery,Distribution, Non-Clinical,Distribution, Nonclinical,Distributional Activities,Healthcare,Healthcare Delivery,Healthcare Systems,Non-Clinical Distribution,Nonclinical Distribution,Activities, Distributional,Activity, Distributional,Care, Health,Community Based Distribution,Community-Based Distributions,Contraceptive Distributions,Deliveries, Healthcare,Delivery, Dental Care,Delivery, Health Care,Delivery, Healthcare,Distribution, Community-Based,Distribution, Contraceptive,Distribution, Non Clinical,Distributional Activity,Distributions, Community-Based,Distributions, Contraceptive,Distributions, Non-Clinical,Distributions, Nonclinical,Health Care System,Healthcare Deliveries,Healthcare System,Non Clinical Distribution,Non-Clinical Distributions,Nonclinical Distributions,System, Health Care,System, Healthcare,Systems, Health Care,Systems, Healthcare
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014728 Veterans Former members of the armed services. Veteran

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