Results indicate the complexity of presentations within treatment seeking veterans. These difficulties may partly explain the poorer treatment outcomes reported in veterans in comparison to the general public. As such, it would be prudent for interventions targeted at veterans with mental health difficulties to attempt to address the range of issues faced by this population rather than focus on a particular presenting problem.

as continuous and dichotomous measures of PTSD in a mired military and civilian group of 70 subjects in the United Kingdom. The MMPI-PTSD and the IES are designed specifically as measures of PTSD and the Global Symptom Index of the SCL-90 i s a general measure of neurosis. All measures produced significant positive correlations with scores from the Clinician Administered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (CAPS-1) and with each other. The IES was the most useful dichotomous measure. The optimum cut-off score for the IES producing the highest Positive Predictive Value and the lowest Apparent Total Misclassification Error Rate has been determined.

IntroductionData are emerging showing the adverse consequences on mental health of the general public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about the needs of veterans with pre-existing mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsData were collected through a cross-sectional online survey from a randomly selected sample (n=1092) of military veterans who have sought help for mental health difficulties from a veteran-specific UK-based charity. The response rate was 25.2% (n=275). Participants were asked to complete a range of standardised mental health outcomes (post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, common mental health difficulties (CMDs): 12-Item General Health Questionnaire, difficulties with anger: 5-Item Dimensions of Anger Reactions—Revised and alcohol misuse: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and endorse a list of potential stressors related to changes to daily life resulting from COVID-19. Regression analyses were fitted to explore predictors of mental health severity.ResultsIt was observed that symptoms of common mental disorder and PTSD (69.3% and 65.0%, respectively) were the most commonly reported to have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Lack of social support and reporting increasing numbers of stressors related to COVID-19 were consistently associated with increasing severity of a range of mental health difficulties.ConclusionsOur findings suggest veterans who had pre-existing mental health difficulties prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 may be at increased risk of experiencing CMDs as a result of the pandemic. Intervening to improve levels of social support and offering practical guidance to better manage any additional stressors relating to the pandemic may provide strategies to help reduce the burden of mental health symptoms.

Background: Previous research exploring the psychometric properties of the scores of measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggests there is variation in their functioning depending on the target population. To date, there has been little study of these properties within UK veteran populations. Objective: This study aimed to determine optimally efficient cut-off values for the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) that can be used to assess for differential diagnosis of presumptive PTSD. Methods: Data from a sample of 242 UK veterans assessed for mental health difficulties were analysed. The criterion-related validity of the PCL-5 and IES-R were evaluated against the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Kappa statistics were used to assess the level of agreement between the DSM-IV and DSM-5 classification systems. Results: The optimal cut-off scores observed within this sample were 34 or above on the PCL-5 and 46 or above on the IES-R. The PCL-5 cut-off is similar to the previously reported values, but the IES-R cut-off identified in this study is higher than has previously been recommended. Overall, a moderate level of agreement was found between participants screened positive using the DSM-IV and DSM-5 classification systems of PTSD. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the PCL-5 and IES-R can be used as brief measures within veteran populations presenting at secondary care to assess for PTSD. The use of a higher cut-off for the IES-R may be helpful for differentiating between veterans who present with PTSD and those who may have some sy`mptoms of PTSD but are sub-threshold for meeting a diagnosis. Further, the use of more accurate optimal cut-offs may aid clinicians to better monitor changes in PTSD symptoms during and after treatment.

Introduction: An increased risk of emotional burden in partners of military Veterans with mental health difficulties has been observed. This study aimed to explore the experiences and needs of female partners of Veterans seeking help. Methods: Our sample of eight female partners was drawn from a population of help-seeking Veterans who had received treatment for PTSD. Qualitative data were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule. Results: Super-ordinate themes of challenges faced, desired type of support, and barriers to support were each described by a set of sub-themes. Challenges faced were described with the themes of inequality in relationship, loss of congruence with own identity, volatile environment, and emotional distress and isolation. Desired type of support was described by the themes of practical focus on improving, sharing with fellow experts, and support tailored to the partner. Barriers to support were described by the themes feeling restricted by practical barriers and ambivalence about the involvement of others. Conclusions: Interventions to support partners of Veterans with mental health difficulties need to address their individual needs, focus on practical techniques, and consider practical limitations.Introduction : Le risque accru d'un fardeau émotionnel des partenaires des vétéran(e)s militaires avec des problèmes de santé mentale a été identifié. Cette étude visait à explorer les expériences et les besoins des conjointes de vétérans qui demandent de l'aide. Méthodes : Notre échantillon qui comprenait huit conjointes a été établi à partir d'une population de vétérans demandant de l'aide et qui recevaient des traitements pour l'état de stress post-traumatique (ESPT). Nous avons recueilli des données qualitatives en utilisant une grille d'entrevue semi-structurée. Résultats : Les thèmes principaux 'les grands défis', 'le type de soutien désiré' et 'les obstacles au soutien' ont tous été définis selon des sous-thèmes. Les grands défis ont été définis par le recours aux thèmes suivants : l'inégalité dans la relation, l'absence de cohérence dans leur propre identité, un environnement volatile et la détresse émotionnelle, ainsi que l'isolation. Le type de soutien désiré a été décrit par les thèmes pratiques qui se portent sur l'amélioration, le partage avec les autres expert(e)s et un soutien adapté au partenaire. Les défis au soutien ont été décrits par les thèmes de restrictions de barrière pratique, et des ambivalences des autres groupes. Conclusions : Cette étude a décrit les défis vécus par les partenaires de vétéran(e)s avec des troubles de santé mentale. Les interventions pour cette population doivent prendre en considération leur besoin individuel, se concentrer sur les technique pratiques et prendre en considération les limites pratiques.