. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Sep 28.

Published in final edited form as: Mil Med. 2019 Jul 1;184(7-8):e301–e308. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usy429

TABLE III.

10 PAI Items Most Frequently Reported by VCP and VA Participants as Interfering With Getting Needed Mental Healthcare

VCP Participants (N = 25)		VA Participants (N = 99)
Interfered a Great Deal or Completely N (%)	“Over the Past 12 months …”	Interfered a Great Deal or Completely N (%)	“Over the Past 12 months …”
9(36)	Did you ever feel that you should just “tough it out” and not seek mental healthcare?	30 (30)	Did you ever lack trust in the healthcare system?
7 (28)	Did you ever feel stuck in “red tape” or paperwork?	28 (28)	Did you ever feel that you should just “tough it out” and not seek mental healthcare?
6(24)	Did you have to wait a long time to get that first mental health appointment?	25 (25)	Did you ever feel stuck in “red tape” or paperwork?
6(24)	Did you ever feel that you were weak because you might need the help of a mental healthcare provider?	23 (23)	Did you ever feel that you were weak because you might need the help of a mental healthcare provider?
6(24)	Have you felt comfortable that you were aware of all the mental health services that were available to you?	20 (20)	Did you ever lack trust in any of your VA mental healthcare providers?
6(24)	Did you ever lack trust in the healthcare system?	19 (19)	Do you see other Veterans whom you feel you can share your experiences with? (facilitator)
6(24)	Have you ever felt that your mental healthcare providers were not available to you as soon as you needed them?	18 (18)	Did you ever feel that your VA mental healthcare providers did not genuinely care about you?
5(20)	Have you felt that your mental health appointments were short?	18 (18)	Have you ever felt that your VA mental healthcare providers were not available to you as soon as you needed them?
5(20)	Did any of your mental healthcare providers lack knowledge of military culture?	17 (17)	Were you able to see the same VA mental healthcare providers consistently over time?
5(20)	Did you have to repeat your story to new mental healthcare providers over and over?	17 (17)	Did you have to repeat your story to new mental healthcare providers over and over?