168 7 CHAPTER 7 Implications for military policy Due to the current shortage of workers in many industries, including the military, the (Dutch) military needs to invest in sustainable employment and well-being at work of their employees (68, 69). The current thesis, along with previous research (2, 32), showed that stigma forms an important barrier to both treatment-seeking and disclosure of MHI to a supervisor, and consequently sustainable employment and well-being at work. Currently, laws and policies are insufficient to end mental health stigma and discrimination, while research suggests that they are essential for ending stigma (70). Therefore, mental health stigma must be targeted at the level of policy and HR practices, and not only at the level of the individual and the supervisor. Based on the findings of the current thesis, several recommendations can be made to the policymakers of the Dutch military. The first recommendation for policymakers in the Dutch military is related to the fear of negative career consequences. The current thesis showed that one-third of military personnel feared that seeking treatment or disclosing would lead to negative career consequences. They feared unemployment, not being promoted, and not being allowed to do the tasks they like most about their job. Previous research has indeed shown that MHI (71), disclosure (21), and treatment-seeking (72) can have negative career consequences. Conversely, several studies have shown that early treatment-seeking was associated with less impact on one’s career, as more severe symptoms could be prevented (73-76). Additionally, early disclosure can lead to work adjustments and social support which are essential to stay at work and to avoid adverse consequences for one’s career (77). Therefore, to promote well-being and prevent adverse occupational outcomes, policymakers should implement and enforce policies to avoid stigma and discrimination against those who seek treatment or disclose to a supervisor. The current thesis, along with previous research (78) also showed that due to stigmarelated concerns, such as negative career consequences, military personnel seek treatment in a late phase, when symptoms are severe (78). This leads to the second recommendation for policymakers of the Dutch military, namely, to promote regular mental health check-ups, so that symptoms can be caught at an early stage, and to show that the organization is supportive rather than exclusive of those experiencing mental health problems. This way, the negative consequences for affected personnel’s career can possibly be eliminated (79, 80). This could also help to reduce the structural stigma. Currently, in the Dutch military, mental health screening only takes place postdeployment. The third recommendation to policymakers in the Dutch military, which could assist in reducing the mental health stigma in the military, is to consider mental health awareness
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