Stigma and Barriers to Care: Caring for Those Exposed to War, Disaster and Terrorism. Executive Summary and Recommendations.

摘要

The Forum on Health and National Security is a conference series addressing the intersection of health and national security needs. The goal of this first conference was to better understand stigma and barriers to care in those exposed to war, disaster, and terrorism, and to translate that understanding into action. The conference brought together a diverse group that included national leaders, educators, researchers, and health care planners from the fields of mental health, health care systems, military and disaster care, and the specific issues of stigma and barriers to care. Our goal was for individuals who did not usually talk with each other, or even know of each other's work, to hear new perspectives and create a new vantage point on this difficult topic. We operated under the belief that if we only talk to people that we already know, we cannot maximize our joint knowledge and opportunities. Our primary goal was to better understand the issues of stigma and barriers to care as they relate to the trajectory from illness, distress, and health risk behaviors after war, disaster, or terrorism to care and needed help. The work of the Forum was a series of presentations followed by open discussions. Our goal was to formulate a set of recommendations to capture the ideas generated. The recommendations were organized into the areas of research, education and training, leadership, and intervention. We hope this volume succeeds in communicating the important ideas and recommended actions that emanated from this distinguished group.