The dissertation project combines three theoretical models that inform conceptualizations of the origins, manifestations, and consequences of stigma: the Social Psychological model (SPM), the Sociological model (SM), and the Cognitive-behavioral model (CBM). These models merge into a single, integrative lens, through which stigma can be examined on both cultural and individual levels. This lens is then applied to the cultural and individual manifestations of the stigma of seeking psychological treatment experienced by veterans who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Through this lens, an understanding of the inception, maintenance, and effects of this treatment stigma is presented. Strategies for the reduction of this stigma are then offered, including a review of current stigma-reducing programs in which the branches of the military are currently engaged. As the purpose of the creation of this integrative lens is to provide a foundation of understanding about the cultural and individual implications of stigma, future directions in stigma research, treatment implications, and influences on public policy are also discussed
