Behavioral Health Provider Attitudes Toward Behavioral Health Profiles in the U.S. Army

Area of Science:

• Military Health
• Behavioral Health
• Psychological Readiness

Background:

• Behavioral health (BH) profiles are crucial for documenting soldier limitations and assessing unit readiness.
• Previous research indicated soldier attitudes toward BH profiles may increase treatment-seeking behavior.
• BH provider attitudes toward BH profiles and their impact on treatment utilization remained unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine U.S. Army BH providers' attitudes toward BH profiles before and after the Behavioral Health Readiness and Decision-Making Instrument (B-REDI) implementation.
• To assess the relationship between BH provider attitudes, therapeutic alliance, and the perceived impact of BH profiles on soldiers.
• To understand how BH profiles might influence BH treatment utilization within the military context.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal survey study involving 307 BH providers across five Army installations.
• Data collected at three time points between September 2018 and March 2019.
• Surveys assessed BH provider attitudes toward BH profiles, including their rationale, perceived impact on soldiers, and effect on therapeutic alliance.

Main Results:

• Over 80% of BH providers agreed that profiles support soldiers, facilitate recovery, and aid commander planning.
• A positive trend in perceived impact of profiles on soldiers was observed post-B-REDI.
• The vast majority (≥94%) of providers perceived no negative impact of BH profiles on therapeutic alliance.

Conclusions:

• BH provider attitudes toward BH profiles are largely positive, supporting their utility in military healthcare.
• No significant negative association was found between BH profiles, therapeutic alliance, and perceived impact on soldiers.
• Findings suggest that initiatives like B-REDI and increased profiling may not adversely affect BH treatment utilization rates.