This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Tracy Stecker about overcoming barriers to seeking treatment for substance use and mental health problems. Dr. Stecker is a an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and a psychologist and researcher at MUSC who focuses on help-seeking behaviors in individuals with mental health conditions.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. It's estimated that 50% of individuals experiencing mental health problems and conditions are not getting any treatment. Doctor Tracy Stecker is here to talk about her work related to helping individuals say yes to mental health treatment when needed. Doctor Stecker is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing, and she's a psychologist and researcher at MUSC, who focuses on help-seeking behaviors in individuals with mental health conditions. Doctor Stecker, tell us about your work that focuses on helping individuals say yes to treatment for mental health issues or substance use issues.
Dr. Stecker: Yeah, my work does focus on helping to improve treatment-seeking among people who are highly resistant to either mental health or substance use treatment. Like you said, about 50% of people do not get help when they need it. We have evidence-based treatments that really do work for mental health and substance use issues, and the suffering that exists from individuals who postpone or delay or resist treatment is quite extensive. And because of that, I have an evidence based therapeutic session that improves treatment seeking. It has been studied in 11 different federally funded trials, and the evidence shows that this session helps to improve treatment- seeking among those who are resistant.
Conner: And what are the common reasons that people resist getting treatment?
Dr. Stecker: There are four that we see commonly, and it's regardless of whether there's a mental health condition or a substance use condition. And these four thoughts are that there is some form of treatment that they do not want, whether it's a medicine or to be hospitalized or a group. The second thought is that they can handle it on their own. The third thought is that they don't need help and don't perceive themselves as having a problem. And the fourth thought is stigma or some sort of self stigma.
Conner: Give us some real life details about some of the resistance and some of the issues you encounter when a person doesn't want to seek treatment.
Dr. Stecker: Well, I can give you an example. For example, working with someone who began drinking young and slowly their drinking increased over time. They drink at least ten drinks a day now, getting a lot of pressure from their family to reduce their drinking. Their thoughts about treatment were that it's not a problem for them. They have a family and they have a job, so there's no problem. They don't want to be labeled an alcoholic and they don't really know how to deal with life stress without alcohol in their life. And so those thoughts were really keeping them out of treatment.
Conner: And then what happened in this example, after the therapy session you had together that was focused on the possibility of seeking treatment for alcohol problems.
Dr. Stecker: They were given an opportunity to rethink each of those thoughts about treatment. In addition, the thought that they only cope with stress with alcohol, they thought, well, maybe there are other tools and coping strategies I could use to deal with stress. And additionally, not wanting to be labeled an alcoholic. They were thinking that, well, actually, if I do reduce my drinking or stop drinking, then I don't have to consider myself an alcoholic. And those thoughts were changed enough so that they were able to seek help.
Conner: Doctor Stecker, thanks for this information about overcoming barriers to treatment for mental health concerns and substance use problems.
Dr. Stecker: Thank you so much for having me.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
