Improving Access Report 2017: Understanding Why Veterans Are Reluctant To Access Help for Alcohol Problems

Abstract: This project arose from two frequently stated perceptions of clinical practitioners working within the field of alcohol misuse services:  Why is it so difficult to engage ex-servicemen (and women) in treatment programmes, Once they engage, why is it so difficult to maintain that engagement? In an attempt to test the validity of these perceptions, a systematic literature review was undertaken followed by a four-phase research study exploring the relationship between being a UK military veteran (ex-serviceman/woman), the provision of alcohol misuse services and veterans’ experiences of engaging with these services. A review of existing literature revealed a limited amount of previous research that has specifically considered problems related to alcohol misuse within the UK veterans’ population. Paradoxically, the prevalence of alcohol misuse problems amongst the UK veteran population, by (some) previous estimations, is higher than levels found within the general population. Given that there are an estimated 2.56 million UK military veterans, this represents a potentially important, but as yet, largely unaddressed public health issue.