1. WOULD YOU SPEND TIME WITH
JUSTIN? PERCEPTIONS OF
VETERANS WITH PTSD.
Ellie Becker and Jenny Dyson
Sterling College

2. Introduction
 Research indicates that the stigma associated
with receiving mental health treatment may
prevent veterans from seeking treatment
(American Public Health Association, 2014).
 There are now a significant number of soldiers
returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD
symptoms (Britt et al., 2007).

3. Literature Review
 Related Research:
 Participants in one study reported veterans
avoiding treatment early due to a known label of
mental illness and difficulties with reintegration
(Mitt et al., 2013).
 90% of soldiers returning from Iraq encounter
stressors that define PTSD. Of the 90% of
soldiers who experience PTSD symptoms only
45% of them are interested in receiving help.
Furthermore, only 40% of those actively seek
professional help (Britt et al., 2007).
 Given the prevalence of PTSD and associated
stigma, this study examines current social

4. Method
 Participants: Students from two state
universities and one private liberal arts
college.
 Procedure: Created two hypothetical scenarios
involving an individual with PTSD symptoms.
 Symptoms were obtained from the DSM-V.
 Two scenarios had identical descriptions of a
veteran with the exact same PTSD symptoms:
Professionally diagnosed vs. Non-diagnosed.
 Responses were randomly assigned to one of the
two scenarios.

5. Hypothesis
 ONE: Non-diagnosed individuals experience
less stigma.
 Even with known PTSD symptoms
 TWO: Diagnosed individuals experience more
stigma.

6. Method Cont.
 Questions: Rated on a 10-point Likert Scale
 Please rate the following:
 Desire to work on the same shift with this person.
 Safety working alone with this person.
 Desire to spend time with this person outside of
work.
 How dangerous do you consider this person?
 How positively do you view this person?
 Desire to introduce this person to your family.

7. Results
 Data analysis was conducted on 286
responses.
 Demographics
 University of Southern Indiana (67.1%) Sterling
College (17.8%) Henderson State University
(15%)
 Gender: 70.3% female; 29% male
 Race: 83.2% White, 9.4% African American, 2.8%
Asian, 1.4% American Indian or Alaskan Native,
12.6% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

8. Results
 Independent samples t-test conducted on each
dependent variable
 Alpha level set at .05
 Only one of six dependent variables reached
statistical significance.
 People preferred to introduce the formally
diagnosed veteran to their family.
 Formally diagnosed (M=4.847, SD = 2.213)
 Non-diagnosed (M=4.257, SD 2.201)
 t(284) = 2.255, p = 0.025

9. Results
 A 2x2 ANOVA revealed two significant
interaction effects.
 Females preferred to spend time with the officially
diagnosed veteran, whereas males preferred to
spend time with with the non-diagnosed veteran.
 F (1, 277) = 7.500, p = .007.
 Females preferred to introduced the formally
diagnosed veteran to their families, whereas
males preferred to introduce the non-diagnosed
veteran to their families.
 F (1, 280) = 4.147, p = .043

10. Results
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
small medium large
Effect Size: Eta Squared
Significant
Difference
s in this
study had
small
effect
sizes.
The experimental manipulation did not account for
a large part of the effect. Values were
approximately .01

11. Discussion
 Overall, the study suggests that veterans
formally diagnosed with PTSD may not be
subject to stigma.
 There is a history of stigma. Perhaps this is
changing?

12. Discussion Cont.
 Limitations
 Gender diversity was small.
 Create more questions, specifically regarding
personal safety.
 Relating to what we found significant.
 Directions for future research
 Concentrate on matters of personal safety.
 Examine the stigmas of other mental illnesses
 Establish a more diverse sample size.

13. References
 Blais, R. M. (2014). Posttraumatic Stress and Stigma in Active-Duty
Service Members Relate to Lower Likelihood of Seeking
Support. Journal Of Traumatic Stress, 27(1), 116-119.
 Britt, T. W., & Castro, C. A., Greene-Shortridge. (2007). The stigma
of mental health problems in the military. Military medicine,
172(2), 157- 161.
 CORRIGAN, P. W., & WATSON, A. C. (2002). Understanding the
impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World
Psychiatry, 1(1), 16–20.
 Locke, C. R. (2011). Public attitudes toward mental illness: An
experimental design examining the media's impact of crime
on stigma. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A, 71,
4182.
 Mittal, D., Drummond, K. L., Blevins, D., Curran, G., Corrigan, P., &
Sullivan, G. (2013). Stigma associated with PTSD: perceptions
of treatment seeking combat veterans. Psychiatric rehabilitation
journal, 36(2), 86.