| Category | Subcategory | Soldiers with mental health conditions and substance misuse | Soldiers without mental health conditions and substance misuse | Mental health professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrier 1: fear of negative career consequences |
Losing employment (and subsequent financial concerns) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Negative differential treatment (different duties, no deployment) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lack of career advancement | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Barrier 2: fear of social rejection |
Fear of being rejected by/removed from the group | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fear of being seen as weak when having mental health conditions or substance misuse | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Negative attitude of supervisor concerning treatment | × | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Barrier 3: confidentiality concerns |
Lack of anonymity when seeking help | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lack of trusting relationship with mental health professional | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Barrier 4: the ‘strong worker’ workplace culture |
‘We can do it’ mentality | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Failure to recognise need for treatment | ✓ | ✓ | × | |
| Preference for self-management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Feeling shame for having mental health conditions and substance misuse | ✓ | × | ✓ | |
| Help is provided within group in order to protect each other from stigma consequences | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Barrier 5: practical barriers |
Lack of knowledge about who/where to go to for help | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lack of time for treatment (work obligations) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Facilitator 1: social support to encourage treatment-seeking |
Family/spouse support | ✓ | × | × |
| Peer support (being sent to care by them) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Supervisor support (positive attitude supervisor) | × | × | ✓ | |
| Trusting relationship mental health professional | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Facilitator 2: accessibility and knowledge of where to get the right healthcare |
Accessible healthcare (low key) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Relatively short waiting list, quick referrals | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Knowledge of the healthcare system, and where to find help | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Facilitator 3: healthcare within the military |
Mental health professionals that are familiar with and part of the military work context (except substance misuse) | ✓ | ✓ | × |
| Anonymity in system through confidentiality by mental health professionals | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓, Indicates that the subcategory was brought up and discussed by participants within a specific group of participants; ×, indicates that the subcategory was not mentioned within specific group of participants.