Study: Spouses also reluctant to seek mental health help

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Study: Spouses also reluctant to seek mental health help
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, May 1, 2008

WASHINGTON — After her husband deployed to Iraq three years ago, Monique Rizer started suffering from migraines, sleeping problems and unexplained numbness in her face.

Mental health counselors told her it was related to stress and depression, and recommended more exercise and socialization. The mother of two said it helped almost immediately.

“As I talked to other spouses about it, I was really surprised to find out they were going through the same thing, even experiencing some of the same symptoms,” she said. “But nobody was admitting it was more than we could handle.”

Her experience is not unusual, according to new statistics from the American Psychiatric Association. In a study released Wednesday, officials found that the stigma of seeking mental health assistance is nearly as strong among military spouses as it is in the ranks.

More than half of those surveyed said they rarely speak about stress or depression with family and friends, and 53 percent worried that scheduling time with a mental health counselor could have a negative impact on their spouse’s career.


Rest of article (be sure to read the sidebar) at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54450