Examining mental health stigma in a first-year seminar for student veterans

Objective: To examine perceptions of mental health stigma among first-year student service members/veterans (SSM/Vs). Participants: 107 SSM/Vs enrolled in a first-semester seminar completed a pre- and post-test measuring five constructs; 1) stigma toward mental health in the military, 2) academic readiness, 3) mental health stigma in college, 4) connection to campus, and 5) resiliency. Methods: Data were analyzed using paired samples t-tests to measure growth on the scales of interest, along with a multiple regression analysis to establish predictors of growth. Results: Stigma-Military and Connection to Campus increased while Stigma-College reduced (p<.05). For the regression analysis, statistically significant predictors of stigma include number of deployments and having served in a combat role (p<.05) Conclusions: Results suggest classroom interventions for SSM/Vs on campus may be related to reduced stigma toward mental health services. This study provides a starting point for expanding research on health and wellness curricular interventions for SSM/V.