Mental Health — You are not alone

Photo By Christopher Wilson | Trainees from Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery Regiment, 434th Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Sill, Okla., jump over a wall on their way to monkey bars during an obstacle course while training at basic combat training (BCT) on Fort Sill on April 23, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Soldiers in BCT spent two weeks in quarantine while being monitors for flu-like symptoms as a precaution before continuing their training. (Original photo by Sgt. Amanda Hunt.)  

FORT SILL, OK, UNITED STATES

08.16.2022

Story by 2nd Lt. Logan Wolff 

Fort Sill Public Affairs

Quite a bit has changed for Army behavioral health since Dr. David Dodd, Director of Psychological Health for Fort Sill’s Reynolds Army Health Clinic.

“I would say one of the most dramatic changes is [behavioral health services has] just grown a tremendous amount,” said Dodd, who started working at Fort Sill in 1996 when there was only 12 behavioral health providers for the entire post. “And now we have close to 85 to 90 people in the department. So, it’s just increased dramatically since the War on Terror.”

Another major change is more standardized care, said Dodd. Along with the standardization of behavioral health care is the increased use of evidence-based care. This allows Soldiers to not only receive care, but to receive effective care.

“If you go to a multi-disciplinary clinic at Fort Sill or Fort Bragg, you'll receive similar type of treatment. And that's been a good thing. So, it's more standardized,” he added

In the face of more evidence-based care, standardized behavioral health treatments, and increased resources for behavioral health, Soldiers seeking help still face obstacles. The biggest obstacle for Soldiers receiving care, according to Dodd, is the perceived stigma associated with mental health.

“Seventy-seven percent of Soldiers still experience a sense of stigma related to going to behavioral health,” Dodd said. “And so, in spite of having quite a bit of opportunity to go to behavioral health care, there’s still some reservation on the part of a lot of active-duty soldiers.”

In discussing the three main reasons for stigma, Dodd quoted research from Dr. Charles Hoge, Senior Scientist with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research which states 68% of people didn’t receive care because they were concerned about their privacy and confidentiality being breached, 67% didn’t want to be perceived as being broken or disabled and 65% had the view that their career would be negatively impacted if they received care.

“People are struggling to find meaning and purpose in their human endeavors and pursuits,” Dodd said. “So, they tend to distract themselves with a variety of different activities.”

For servicemembers, developing a deep, meaningful relationship can be a challenge, said Dodd.

“[Servicemembers] don’t develop a lot of depth to their relationships, and so things that would normally bring meaning and value to them, they’re missing out on,” Dodd said. “Underneath it all, there’s deeper issues related to meaning and purpose.”


Highlighting the value of life is important for the Army and has become a focus at Fort Sill, Dodd said.

“Fort Sill focuses on services that can be delivered for people who are in need, but they also focus on the value of life, which I think is another aspect of this that’s an important thing to highlight, and that it’s not just a reason not to die, but also the reason to continue to live,” Dodd said. “And so, when there’s a deficit, obviously, we want to give [Soldiers] skills in order to remediate those deficits.”

While there are services available for servicemembers and their families, support from leadership is just as important in encouraging Soldiers to get the help they need. Leaders fostering relationships and promoting behavioral health is paramount Dodd said, to provide services and support while simultaneously completing the mission.

“People care what their senior leadership says, but really, if their immediate supervisor or company commander or battery commander doesn’t show they care, or that behavioral health is not accepted, most of the time [Soldiers] won’t feel safe enough.” Dodd continued, “Not only [are] leaders a key part of the relationship, but also your peers and knowing what each other’s doing and supporting each other is critical to being able to endure difficult situations.”


Despite the perceived stigma, Dodd said the military and specifically the Army, is on the right track with behavioral health.

“We see a lot of people come in who are significantly depressed or anxious and who are getting better and functioning better,” Dodd said. “The Army is ahead of the game in some areas related to risk management,” and “in general, the Army has developed different procedures and policies that are equal or sometimes ahead of the rest of the civilian world – except they have an exceeding amount of paperwork.”

On the national level, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration went live with its new “988” crisis hotline. The hotline will serve as the new direct dial number for the National Suicide Prevention Helpline and is available for use at national, state and local levels.

“I think the new system is a good system,” said Dodd about the hotline. “It’s an important component of a comprehensive suicide prevention program and can be a resource to deescalate and respond to emergency needs.”


If you or someone you know is suffering a mental health crisis or is struggling emotionally, there are ways to get help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, contact your chain of command, unit chaplain or mental health provider.

• Date Taken: 08.16.2022
• Date Posted: 08.16.2022 15:50
• Story ID: 427369
• Location: FORT SILL, OK, US