Exploring help seeking barriers for military sexual trauma Veterans
Abstract: Military sexual trauma (MST) among military personnel has grown and the effects of this sexual trauma vary by individual. One out of three women fail to share their victimization with their providers or wait decades before getting help, despite actions taken by Congress to prevent and address sexual assaults in the military. High prevalence and low reporting continue to exist due to barriers, such as fear of retaliation, not being believed, lack of awareness of available resources, gender-related distress, and disruption of the unit. In this qualitative study, a purposive sampling technique was used to identify 13 survivors of MST who participated in a 60-minute semistructured interview to understand how gender related distress and other help-seeking barriers deter them from getting help in addressing their MST and what can be done to resolve those barriers. Turchik’s model of help-seeking barriers served as the study’s conceptual lens. Once the data were transcribed, a thematic approach was used to analyze and code the collected data. Through this thematic process, three primary themes emerged; (a) seeking help is shaped by internal fear; (b) lack of confidence in a help-seeking system; and (c) internal personal bias. The findings of this study can be used to promote positive social change by starting conversations and exploring ideas that could be used to expand the number of therapists available, treatment resources, and services at the VA Medical Center and other community, regional, or national therapeutic providers to support barrier removal and quality of care for survivors of MST.