Everyone needs help in life, and whether it’s mental or physical shouldn’t matter.

Unfortunately, there’s a social stigma surrounding seeking the help of a mental health specialist. And while this deep-seeded lore follows and haunts most Americans, it particular clouds the culture of the United States military and its members.

It’s been estimated that between 13 and 18 percent of military service members suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression after deployment.

Less than half seek treatment.

Now, it seems as if there are two ways to combat this problem. You can extinguish the stigma — erase the disgrace surrounding seeking assistance (aka going to a shrink) — OR, you can empower the regular primary care doctor with the necessary tools to combat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental afflictions, such as depression.

Beginning in 2012, the latter approach was attempted at primary care facilities and offices across the country with military service members, and guess what?

It worked.

According to the study conducted by researchers from RAND, RTI International and the Department of Defense Deployment Health Clinical Center, “military members who visited a primary care clinic while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression reported fewer symptoms and better mental health functioning a year after enrolling in a treatment program that included specially trained care managers and telephone therapy options.”

The study’s battery examined 666 veterans and active-duty military (mostly men in their 20s) in 18 primary care clinics at a handful of large United States Army installations from 2012 to 2013. Basically, the researchers pitted two orthodoxies against one another to see which was more effective. One was the old, traditional model of primary care, and one was a version of it, spiked with new, in-depth features and practices.

This from Science Daily:

The existing Army model, used for test comparison, trained staff at primary clinics to screen for PTSD and depression. Nurses contacted patients monthly to check on symptoms, coordinate care with primary care providers and increase access to mental health professionals.

The test model, centrally assisted collaborative telecare, preserved existing Army model and added some key features. The nurses were specially trained in behavioral activation, problem solving and motivational interviewing to help patients remain in follow-up and stick to treatment recommendations.

In addition, the test model used psychologists to deliver telephone-based cognitive-behavioral therapy and offered face-to-face psychotherapy in a primary care or specialty setting. The nurse care managers also helped patients access and complete online cognitive-behavioral self-management programs. A centrally located psychiatrist, psychologist and nurse care manager remotely assisted the clinic sites, using a central database of symptoms to review caseloads weekly and suggest changes in treatments as needed …

“Our findings are consistent with what has been observed in nonmilitary health care settings,” Engel said. “This approach results in better outcomes and improves access to high-quality care. This is particularly important for a population that has a demonstrated need for mental health services.”

The results? They speak for themselves:

After 12 months of care, 25 percent of military members with PTSD who were treated in the centrally assisted collaborative telecare model showed a 50 percent improvement in their symptoms, compared to 17 percent for those treated under the first model. Similarly, among patients with depression, 30 percent treated under the second model showed a 50 percent improvement in symptoms after a year, compared to 20 percent for the first model.

People treated in the centrally assisted collaborative telecare model also had fewer suicidal thoughts and physical symptoms. In addition, patients treated under the model had more telephone contact with care managers and more months on appropriate medication for PTSD and depression.

Hopefully these doctors and researchers can build on this momentum and make an even bigger dent in the harsh enigma that is PTSD.