Steeping in how "shut up and color" mindset manifests: Semantic analysis of open-ended responses for barriers to support seeking among veterans.

Abstract

Despite the long use of surveys in veterans' needs assessments, a disconnect persists between the veterans' needs and the available services. This study employs a hermeneutical framework to semantically analyze open-ended responses and investigate how veterans' perceptions of service barriers are formed. We analyzed 3,325 open-ended responses specifying their perceived barriers in Texas Veterans Needs Survey data from 2023 (n = 16,733). Our analysis revealed that the hurdles stem from the combination of (1) obedience to authority, (2) covert mental health challenges, (3) hopelessness, and (4) self-defeating prophecy created by complex systems and lack of trust. For instance, many reported being told they were not eligible for services or only hinted at their psychological struggles as a hurdle rather than explicitly citing a history of denial or mental health conditions. Fear of unwanted consequences, procrastination due to the self-sufficient mindset, and comparisons to other veterans were observed in relation to the "military mind-set." Minorities and those who withheld their demographic information were more presented in the analytical sample than in the overall survey. Contextualization of qualitative data revealed how the military mindset is intertwined with the veterans' service-seeking behavior. The findings may improve the interpretability and validity of future veteran needs assessments.