Factors associated with well-being among treatment-seeking UK Veterans: A cross-sectional study

Abstract: Veterans seeking treatment for mental health problems are likely to face more than one problem. Well-being is a concept that does not rely on any mental health diagnosis or difficulty and may offer a broader way to capture mental health. In this study, 428 UK Armed Forces Veterans seeking treatment for mental health difficulties at a UK-based charity completed a survey asking about mental health and well-being. Overall, treatment-seeking Veteran well-being was associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, physical health, problems with anger, moral injury, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and complex PTSD. Sleep problems, alcohol misuse, and loneliness were also linked with well-being scores. These associations suggest that well-being may capture Veteran health in a way that is separate from any single diagnosis, meaning outcomes for Veterans with complex needs who require a range of support can be compared. These results also highlight the relevance of positive mental health, as opposed to mental ill health. Introduction: Comorbidity is the norm, rather than the exception, among UK treatment-seeking armed forces Veterans, who face a greater risk of experiencing mental health difficulties than the general UK population. Veterans may also experience poor overall well-being across various domains, including work-related challenges, loneliness, and instability in relationships. This study aimed to explore associations between mental ill health and mental well-being to add to the literature on the complexity of functioning and mental health presentations in clinical Veteran samples. Methods: A total of 428 UK Armed Forces Veterans (mean age = 50.5 y, SD = 10.9) who received treatment for mental health difficulties at a UK Veteran mental health charity completed a survey that collected responses on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale measure of mental well-being, as well as a range of mental health and functioning outcomes. Results: Linear regression analysis revealed that well-being was significantly negatively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, symptoms of physical health difficulties, possible problems with anger, moral injury, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD. Functioning outcomes related to well-being were alcohol misuse, sleep problems, and loneliness. Alcohol misuse, sleep problems, and symptoms of loneliness were associated with lower well-being scores. Discussion: Implications of this pattern of relationships are discussed, including the potential benefits of a transdiagnostic and sub-clinical outcome measure for interventions targeting mental ill health, as well as positive mental health, among Veterans. Introduction : Chez les veteran(e)s des forces armees britanniques en quete de traitement, qui courent un risque plus eleve de souffrir de problemes de sante mentale que la population generale du Royaume-Uni, la comorbidite est la norme plutot que l'exception. Le bienetre general des veteran(e)s peut egalement s'averer mediocre dans differents domaines et comprendre des difficultes liees au travail, de la solitude et de l'instabilite relationnelle. Cette etude explore les associations entre la bonne et la mauvaise sante mentale, dans le but d'enrichir la litterature sur la complexite du fonctionnement et des representations de la sante mentale dans des echantillons cliniques de veteran(e)s. Methode : Les reponses a un sondage fournies par 428 veteran(e)s des forces armees britanniques (age moyen = 50,5 ans, ecart-type = 10,9), traite(e)s pour des problemes de sante mentale dans un organisme de bienfaisance pour la sante mentale des veteran(e)s au Royaume-Uni, ont permis d'evaluer leur bienetre psychologique selon l'echelle de bienetre mental de Warwick-Edinburgh (WEMWBS), et d'obtenir une gamme de resultats en matiere de sante mentale et de fonctionnement. Resultats : Une analyse de regression lineaire revele une correlation negative significative entre le bienetre et les symptomes d'anxiete et de depression, les symptomes de problemes de sante physique, de possibles problemes de colere, les prejudices moraux et les symptomes de trouble de stress posttraumatique (TSPT) et de TSPT complexe. Les resultats fonctionnels lies au bienetre sont l'abus d'alcool, les problemes de sommeil et la solitude. L'abus d'alcool, les problemes de sommeil et les symptomes de solitude sont correles a des scores de bienetre faibles. Interpretation des resultats : Les consequences de ce reseau de relations sont presentees, notamment les avantages potentiels d'une mesure transdiagnostique et subclinique des resultats pour les interventions ciblant les problemes de sante mentale, de meme que la bonne sante mentale, chez les veteran(e)s.