Comparing post‐deployment mental health services utilization in soldiers deployed to Balkan, Iraq and Afghanistan

Abstract

Utilization of MHS differed significantly between mission areas and was highest after the latest mission to Afghanistan.

Labor market affiliation after deployment: Danish soldiers fare well, but face increased risk of long-term sickness absence when returning from Afghanistan

“…Based on previous research suggesting that FDS of Kosovo could be the least affected with regard to mental health (33), in combination with possible selection and training effects (1,23,24), this pattern may be explained by "a healthy worker effect" pertaining to the soldiers (15).…”

Mental healthcare utilisation among Danish formerly deployed military personnel and their civilian counterparts: a cohort study

“…Therefore, the omission of these data could have led to a severe underestimation of the true effect of deployment on the MHU of FDP in the prior comparison studies. Two of the prior studies found lower MHU among FDP compared to the general population (Lyk-Jensen et al, 2012 ; Madsen et al, 2017 ); the three other studies found higher MHU among FDP compared to the general population (Lyk-Jensen, 2022 ; Lyk-Jensen et al, 2016 ; Nissen et al, 2017 ). Knowing the actual consequences of deployment on MHU is important to inform soldiers, the Defence as well as decision-makers about the human and societal costs of deployment.…”

“…Using self-reports to compare the level of mental health problems across these segments of the population can be problematic due to nonresponse bias for example due to the stigma that for some is associated with reporting mental health problems (Warner et al, 2011 ). Some researchers have instead taken the approach of estimating the differences in the mental healthcare utilisation (MHU) among FDP and civilians (Aux Analysis AB, 2021 ; Lyk-Jensen et al, 2016 ; Madsen et al, 2017 ; Nissen et al, 2017 ). MHU is not a direct measure of the level of mental health problems in a population as not all those who experience symptoms of mental health problems seek professional help and as some of those who do receive mental health treatment might not qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis.…”

“…Psychotherapy with a private psychologist is only partly reimbursed by the civilian public healthcare system (CPHS) for a specific set of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Prior studies comparing the MHU of formerly deployed Danish military personnel with the general Danish population (Lyk-Jensen, 2022 ; Lyk-Jensen et al, 2012 , 2016 ; Madsen et al, 2017 ; Nissen et al, 2017 ) have, however, neither included register data on ‘talking therapy’ conducted by the GP nor on psychotherapy through the Danish Defence, which appear to be the most commonly used mental healthcare service among Danish FDP (Madsen et al, 2016 ; Møller et al, 2020 ). Therefore, the omission of these data could have led to a severe underestimation of the true effect of deployment on the MHU of FDP in the prior comparison studies.…”

“…With respect to aim 1 and based on the existing literature (Lyk-Jensen et al, 2016 ; Madsen et al, 2016 , 2017 ; Møller et al, 2020 ), we hypothesised that psychotherapy through the Danish Defence was the most commonly used mental healthcare service among FDP. With respect to aim 2, we hypothesised that when data on the use of psychotherapy through the Danish Defence were included in the outcome, the incidence of MHU would be higher among FDP compared to the general population.…”