Public Attitudes to the UK Armed Forces in Northern Ireland

Summary: This report is the fourth in a series of reports from the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing Study (NIVHWS). In 2017, the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) funded the inclusion of the first ever set of questions on public attitudes towards current and former UK Armed Forces personnel in Northern Ireland (NI) in the annual Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey (NILT). NILT is a joint project between Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University and is representative of the attitudes and opinions of the full NI population. NILT respondents were asked for their opinion on a range of issues related to the UK Armed Forces in NI. Questions focused on respondents’ attitudes towards, and opinions of, the UK Armed Forces during the Troubles and the UK Armed Forces today; comparisons of public attitudes to the UK Armed Forces during the Troubles and in current times; respect for Armed Forces personnel; associations with Armed Forces personnel; alcohol use and the mental health of Armed Forces personnel; the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC); and specialist veteran mental health services in NI. Each of the above topics were examined in regard to one or more key demographic variables, such as age, gender, geographical location and religious affiliation.