The mental health needs of serving and ex-Service personnel

A systematic review

Researchers: Daniel Phillips, Anna Marcinkiewicz, Robert Wishart, Emma Forsyth, Anysia Nguyen, Sarah Lynch-Huggins, Fiona Gogescu, Adam Gilbert, Sokratis Dinos, Martina Vojtkova, John Eyers, David Denney

Published: May 2020

A systematic review

Aims

The study brings together evidence on the prevalence of mental health problems in serving and ex-Service personnel and their families, the experiences of those suffering from mental health problems and the effectiveness of interventions used to treat them.

Findings

A full summary of the findings and recommendations from the study is available in the executive summary available below.

Some selected recommendations from the study include the following:

Earlier identification of ‘at-risk individuals’ and early intervention to prevent escalation of mental health problems.

Improved awareness amongst healthcare professionals of the needs of ex-Service personnel and their entitlement to priority support.

Greater connectivity between Armed Forces and civilian services, to manage the transition to civilian life and ensure ex-Service personnel do not slip through the net.

Increased education on mental health and stigma for military personnel and their families, to support help seeking and address concerns around career impacts.

Methods

The research combined a systematic review (a rigorous and systematic process to find and select research studies, then synthesise their findings) with a set of interviews with stakeholders from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), NHS England, veteran charities and academic institutions.