Perceived barriers and facilitators of mental health service utilization in adult trauma survivors: A systematic review

Highlights

• Many trauma survivors seem to be reluctant to seek mental health treatment.

• Trauma survivors perceive a number of barriers to treatment.

• Facilitators are neglected in research but important to understand treatment use

• Similarities between trauma survivors of general and military population

• Highlights limitations in prior research and points to future directions

Abstract

Many trauma survivors seem to be reluctant to seek professional help. The aim of the current review was to synthesize relevant literature, and to systematically classify trauma survivors' perceived barriers and facilitators regarding mental health service utilization. The systematic search identified 19 studies addressing military personnel and 17 studies with trauma survivors of the general population. The data analysis revealed that the most prominent barriers included concerns related to stigma, shame and rejection, low mental health literacy, lack of knowledge and treatment-related doubts, fear of negative social consequences, limited resources, time, and expenses. Perceived facilitators lack attention in research, but can be influential in understanding mental health service use. Another prominent finding was that trauma survivors face specific trauma-related barriers to mental health service use, especially concerns about re-experiencing the traumatic events. Many trauma survivors avoid traumatic reminders and are therefore concerned about dealing with certain memories in treatment. These perceived barriers and facilitators were discussed regarding future research and practical implications in order to facilitate mental health service use among trauma survivors.