Meanwhile, research shows veteran service organizations have been having a difficult time engaging with some of the most at-risk veterans and their families and getting them mental health or suicide prevention resources.

To help address those challenges, a new report from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute surveyed what Utah’s veterans say are their biggest barriers.

The issue, the survey found, is complex. Some veterans wrestle with what the report called the “warrior ethos,” or fear that they’ll be seen as “weak.” But other obstacles, researchers wrote, are “more systematic, such as wait times and fear that accessing services could limit military careers.”

Kara Byrne, senior health and human services analyst at the institute and lead author of the report, said in a prepared statement that the report “highlights the critical role of personal connections in reaching service members in need.”

“By focusing on building trust and addressing systemic barriers, the state can improve access to these life-saving resources,” Byrne said.

The study was commissioned by the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, which in conjunction with state officials, is “committed to reducing suicide and improving mental health among service members, veterans, and their families,” the department’s executive director Gary Harter said.

“This valuable research shines a light on where we need to focus our prevention efforts,” Harter said. “One life lost to suicide is one too many.”

Findings

Survey respondents were asked to select the “greatest or biggest barriers to accessing mental health services or suicide prevention resources for you or others in the military community.” Here’s the breakdown of their responses (the sample size for the survey was 1,376, according to the report):

• 33%: “It takes too long to get into care.”
• 29.8%: “I can take care of myself.”
• 27.3%: “My friends, family, or community will know my business.”
• 22.1%: “Exposing my mental health could keep me from advancing my career.”
• 21%: “Others will think I am weak.”
• 19.8%: “Too expensive.”
• 17.2%: I am unsure how to access resources.”
• 15.9%: “Services are not helpful.”
• 15.1%: “Other.”
• 10.5%: “Services are not available in my area.”
• 5%: “Exposing my mental health could keep me from being deployed.”

The report also highlighted that accessing resources for veterans remains a challenge, with 25% that have never looked for resources and 17% that are unsure how to access them.

Additionally, researchers found veterans tend to trust their non-military and Veterans Affairs affiliated physicians and therapists, along with their family and friends and military peers. Trust in services, however, varies. Only 36% reported they personally trust mental health crisis response resources like the crisis line or 988, while over 50% of those who had called the crisis line found it helpful.

Based on focus groups, researchers suggested some of the best ways to reach active service members or veterans include better coordinating efforts among federal, state and community initiatives, according to the report. They also suggested “reducing the stigma” with mental health services by “addressing misinformation that receiving such services could impact their military career.”