Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

John Deaton

Abstract

The current qualitative research project explored the lived experiences of senior leaders who have worked with service members known to seek mental health treatment. Despite a large amount of research on the effects mental health has on military members, the scholarly community does not know the experiences individuals face when employing active-duty personnel with known psychological limitations. This phenomenological study aimed to identify senior leadership’s lived experiences to identify the barriers and facilitators they faced when employing service members known to have sought mental health treatment. The attribution theory and modified labeling theory were the theoretical frameworks chosen for this study. Five active-duty Navy service members, enlisted ranks E-7 through E-9, participated in semistructured interviews. The findings indicated leaders experienced a lack of knowledge, training, and understanding of how to effectively employ service members. Additionally, senior leadership reported feeling overwhelmed, scared, empathetic, and supportive towards sailors who disclosed their help-seeking behavior. Leadership perceived members to be emotional, anxious, isolated, and experience denial when discussing their issues. The barriers leadership identified were lack of team cohesion from the individual, having to validate their decisions, and having to motivate sailors with psychological limitations. Facilitators included utilizing medical professionals, knowledge, and strong leadership to effectively deal with the situation. Positive social change implications included understanding these potential barriers and facilitators to help educate leadership and policymakers to better prepare individuals to work with service members with psychological limitations.

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