Veteran sheds light on the importance of mental health research

For Army Veteran Bryan Billups, mental health has always been a priority. From serving as a paratrooper in the first Gulf War to working in the federal government, Billups’ life experiences have brought to light the importance of taking care of both physical and mental health. For Veterans especially, Billups recognizes the value of joining research programs like VA’s Million Veteran Program (MVP) to help improve the future of Veteran mental health care.  

Reducing stigma around mental health

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 1 in 5 American adults live with a mental illness. Billups knows first-hand the challenges that Veterans face when it comes to mental health, either as a result of deployments or due to the many changes service members experience throughout their career.

“It’s a struggle and it’s a huge transition to go from the military, especially being a soldier, going to the civilian side of the house,” said Billups. “A lot of times, especially us men, we don’t want to get counseling—we just want to power through it.” 

Billups noted that talking about mental health can lessen the stigma (negative attitudes, beliefs, or ideas) surrounding mental health and treatment. “Let’s take the barrier off the stigma, take the bar down, and let’s talk about it,” he said. “A lot of times, it’s fear. You’re afraid to talk about some things just because you went through it, but that doesn’t mean that’s who you are.”

Talking about mental health can help those around you—fellow Veterans, loved ones and health care providers—better understand what’s going on and how to help.

The importance of mental health research

One of the ways VA is working to better understand mental health conditions among Veterans is through research.

“The research for mental health is so important. The more information you learn, the better you can help people,” Billups said. “But if you don’t know where a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine is coming from, then you’re not going to be able to help.”

When Veterans participate in health research programs like MVP, they help researchers better understand how genes, lifestyle and experiences affect health and wellness—including mental health. “Finding out what is going on in a person’s psyche, their mental health, that’s huge. If we can just dig more into it and ask the hard questions, that can make a difference,” he said.

Helping to improve Veteran mental health care by joining MVP

Helping other Veterans is at the top of Billups’ list. “What we learn in the military is if somebody is down, you reach down and you grab them and you pull them up,” he said. “So, this is why that research is important to me, and this is why mental health is important to me.”

Billups’ hope is to see a future of better research. By joining MVP—a community of 1,000,000+ Veterans—he’s starting to see that future become a reality. Thanks to Veteran participants like Billups, MVP is already making discoveries in mental health areas that matter to Veterans. This includes:

• PTSD;
• Depression;
• Anxiety;
• Suicide risk;
• and more.

Learn more about MVP or join today. You can also call 866-441-6075 to make an appointment at a participating VA facility. You don’t need to receive your care at VA to participate.