Mental health stigma (MHS) among military personnel requires a complex approach, as it is influenced by ethical challenges and organizational norms distinct from those in civilian milieus. Stigmatization encompasses multiple dimensions -including social, self, anticipated, cultural, and structural stigma- that must also be examined within military settings. This article presents a conceptual analysis of key research directions in the field of MHS, based on a literature review conducted across three electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Clarivate/Web of Science), from the inception of each database up to June 2025. The review focuses on active-duty service members and veterans, and identified six major domains involving MHS: (1) structural stigma within military contexts, (2) risk factors and consequences associated with MHS, (3) self-stigma among active-duty personnel and veterans, (4) the role of military healthcare providers in mitigating stigma, (5) military sexual trauma and its relationship to stigma, and (6) interventions aimed at decreasing MHS among military personnel. Although relevant primary and secondary studies were identified across these domains, significant research gaps remain, particularly in the last three areas. Addressing MHS in military populations is essential not only for improving quality of life, psychological well-being, and daily functioning, but also for maintaining combat readiness, unit cohesion, and peer acceptance.
The assessment of coping mechanisms in patients diagnosed with oncological diseases is essential for mental health specialists, who have to design the most appropriate case management strategy for comorbid mood disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, and other psychiatric conditions that may be detected in this vulnerable population. The adequate treatment of these disorders is important for the preservation of mental health status, quality of life, and overall functionality in patients diagnosed with cancer. Coping mechanisms modulate the vulnerability toward psychiatric disorders, but they also have an impact on treatment adherence, which is an important factor correlating with prognosis. Appraisal-focused, problem-focused, emotion-focused, and occupation-focused coping represent the most well-defined strategies patients use when confronted with a stressful life situation, like a diagnosis with potentially vital consequences. Maladaptive coping strategies may also be identified in these patients, e.g., withdrawal from reality, including complete or partial denial of the disease, substance abuse, behavioral addictions, refusal of the recommended treatment, etc. The psychotherapeutic approach in patients with oncological diseases should include an initial evaluation of the coping strategies used either currently or in the past stressful conditions, an assessment of all the psychosocial resources the patients have (e.,g., support group, professional insertion, hobbies), and screening for mood and anxiety disorders that may have been triggered by the cancer diagnosis. Consequently, within the psychotherapeutic framework, a trained specialist can enhance the role of adaptive coping strategies and highlight the disadvantages of dysfunctional ones. This process may possess a favorable impact on treatment adherence, mental health status, and quality of life in patients with cancer.
