Circumventing Mental Health Stigma by Embracing the Warrior Culture: Lessons Learned From the Defender's Edge Program

Despite considerable efforts on the part of the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the wider mental health community, mental health stigma continues to be a significant barrier to seeking help by service members, highlighting the need for newer modes of thought. A significant factor contributing to this stigma is the fundamental difference between traditional mental health approaches and the warrior culture. As a mental health prevention initiative, the Defender's Edge (DEFED) program was specifically developed to fit within the United States Air Force Security Forces (SF) charged with ground combat operations while deployed to Iraq. DEFED adopted a strengths-based philosophy and integrated a psychologist into the SF culture. Evaluative feedback from 192 program participants is presented, demonstrating high programmatic acceptability and feasibility suggestive of success in circumventing mental health stigma.