The Mental Health of Serving and ex-Service Personnel Review

Summary: This report is a review of the research evidence to date on the mental health of serving and ex-Service military personnel in the UK. It was commissioned in September 2012 by the Forces in Mind Trust. The mental health of military personnel has received considerable public, political and media attention given the involvement of the British Armed Forces in a number of military operations over the past 20 years – particularly recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Concern about the mental health of serving and ex-Service personnel has mounted over this time and led to a huge surge in research conducted on UK military personnel. The total strength of the UK Armed Forces in October 2012 was 180,000 personnel (Berman and Rutherford 2012). The Strategic Defence and Security Review (2010) has recommended that by 2015 the number of full-time trained strength should reduce. The ex-Service population has been estimated to be around 3.8 million (Woodhead 2009). Between 2011–2012, 21,370 military personnel left the Armed Forces; 3720 of whom were untrained (DASA 2013). Serving and ex-Service personnel are highly heterogeneous populations who differ across trades, rank, exposure to risk and service. Yet, existing research has not fully described or considered these differences. Much of the research on UK military personnel has been generated by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR; previously the Gulf War Illnesses Research Unit). The unit has generated large prospective cohort studies of military personnel, which are longitudinal. These enable robust epidemiological, follow-up studies using random samples to examine the prevalence and risk factors for mental health problems and social issues in UK military populations. The primary aim of the review was to identify the main gaps and recommend key areas for future research. The review covers a number of important domains including: the prevalence of mental health problems in serving and ex-Service personnel; treatment needs and barriers to seeking help; the most appropriate services for those with mental health problems; issues concerning transition and resettlement to civilian life; and the impact on families and the support available to them.