Coming Home: Social Functioning and the Mental Health of UK Reservists on Return From Deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan

Harvey, Samuel B; Hatch, Stephani L.; Jones, Margaret; Hull, Lisa; Jones, Norman; Greenberg, Neil; Dandeker, Christopher; Fear, Nicola T.; Wessely, Simon

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2011.05.004

Cited by 66 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…These results are consistent with those of Harvey [83] who found that low levels of post-deployment military support were associated with increased reporting of probable posttraumatic disorder and alcohol misuse. Further, results showed very little difference in associated poor health between the perceived situation where no military support was provided to spouses/partners and where support was provided but seen as insufficient.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

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Physical comorbidities of post‐traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans

McLeay

Harvey

Romaniuk

et al. 2017

Medical Journal of Australia

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Further, in reserve members, a lack of perceived military and non-military support has been associated with increased reporting of symptoms of posttraumatic stress, common mental disorders and alcohol misuse [83].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical comorbidities of post‐traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans

McLeay

Harvey

Romaniuk

et al. 2017

Medical Journal of Australia

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“…Others described feeling that they had given so much of themselves to the military, yet now were no longer valued or cared about. These feelings are not unusual -it has been reported that 30% of service personnel feel unsupported by the military after returning from deployment [12]. In this light, it is particularly significant that participants tell stories portraying how involvement in the course led to them feel they had perhaps not been 'deserted' by the military, but were still -in some way at least -valued, respected, and cared about.…”

Section: New Rooms To Explorementioning

confidence: 98%

“…It has been suggested that current systems fail to adequately meet existing need [12,15,16] through, for example, an absence of "long-term planning to manage the inevitable increase in numbers who will suffer mental health problems" [15, p. 794]. It is in this light that Brewin and colleagues [16, p. 1739] call for research to explore new "multi-faceted interventions, both individual and societal" which have the potential to support psychosocial wellbeing.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosocial outcomes of an inclusive adapted sport and adventurous training course for military personnel

Carless

Peacock

McKenna

et al. 2013

Disability and Rehabilitation

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Purpose. To explore the psychosocial outcomes of an inclusive adapted sport and adventurous training course that aims to support the rehabilitation and personal development of military personnel who have sustained physical and/or psychological disability. Method.Narrative life story interviews were conducted with 11 men aged 20-43 taking part in one of the 5-day courses. A thematic narrative analysis was conducted, focusing on accounts that provided insights into personally meaningful psychosocial outcomes of the course. Findings.We identified 6 themes, falling into two distinct clusters. "Bringing me back to myself" was achieved through the themes of (1) returning to activity, (2) rediscovering a sense of purpose, and (3) reconnecting to others. "New rooms to explore" was realised through (4) experiencing new activities, (5) being valued/respected/cared for, and (6) were assessed as having a mental health problem and it is expected that this figure will continue to rise [6,7].Physical injury/disability and mental health difficulties are often experienced in combination, in part because injury is often preceded by multiple combat exposures [8,9,10]. According to Brittain and Green [19], sport has a long history of rehabilitative use among people with a disability, having potential to support physical and psychological recovery. In the 1970's Guttmann [20] proposed that sport could act as a curative factor (e.g., restoring fitness, strength, coordination), offer recreational and psychologically valuable 4 experiences, and provide a means of social re-integration. While little research has been conducted with military personnel, a few studies document positive outcomes [21,22,23,24]. Research addressing the potential of adventurous training (AT) for military personnel is extremely sparse at present, but some literature suggests participation can lead to positive outcomes such as personal and professional development through, for example, experiential and transferable learning [25].In this study we respond to calls for research into alternative interventions to support military personnel with a physical and/or psychological disability. On the basis of the potential benefits of sport and AT outlined above, we investigate the psychosocial effects of a recently developed inclusive adapted sport and AT course operating in the UK for military personnel. Our research question was: What personally meaningful psychosocial outcomes do male military personnel experience during participation in an inclusive adapted sport and AT course? Method An inclusive sport and adventurous training courseIn 2011 a new intervention was initiated -at the Battle Back Centre, Lilleshall, UKusing inclusive adapted sport and AT as a vehicle for personal development, aiming to assist military personnel in their rehabilitation. In this study, approved by the University Ethics Committee, we focus on a series of pilot courses that ran between October 2011 and April 2012. Individuals taking part were experiencing some form of disability as ...

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“…A recent nationally representative survey indicated that 44 percent of post-9/11 Veterans report difficulties readjusting to civilian life [1]. Reintegration challenges manifest in a variety of ways, including functional problems in social, family, school, work, and community domains [2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Such difficulties have implications for Veterans' quality of life.…”

Section: Studies Suggest That Iraq or Afghanistan Veterans (Operationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospective prediction of functional difficulties among recently separated Veterans

Larson

Norman

2014

J Rehabil Res Dev

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Abstract-Reports of functional problems are common amongVeterans who served post-9/11 (more than 25% report functional difficulties in at least one domain). However, little prospective work has examined the risk and protective factors for functional difficulties among Veterans. In a sample of recently separated Marines, we used stepwise logistic and multiple regressions to identify predictors of functional impairment, including workrelated problems, financial problems, unlawful behavior, activity limitations due to mental health symptoms, and perceived difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms assessed both before and after military separation significantly predicted functional difficulties across all domains except unlawful behavior. Certain outcomes, such as unlawful behavior and activity limitations due to mental health symptoms, were predicted by other or additional predictors. Although several forms of functioning were examined, the list was not exhaustive. The results highlight a number of areas where targeted interventions may facilitate the reintegration of military servicemembers into civilian life.

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Coming Home: Social Functioning and the Mental Health of UK Reservists on Return From Deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan

Cited by 66 publications

References 28 publications

Physical comorbidities of post‐traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans

Physical comorbidities of post‐traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans

Psychosocial outcomes of an inclusive adapted sport and adventurous training course for military personnel

Prospective prediction of functional difficulties among recently separated Veterans

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