Do military peacekeepers want to talk about their experiences? Perceived psychological support of UK military peacekeepers on return from deployment

Abstract

Background: Little is known about what support the United Kingdom (UK) armed forces require when they return from operations. Aims: To investigate the perceived psychological support requirements for service personnel on peacekeeping deployments when they return home from operations and examine their views on the requirement for formal psychological debriefings. Methods: A retrospective cohort study examined the perceived psychological needs of 1202 UK peacekeepers on return from deployment. Participants were sent a questionnaire asking about their perceived needs relating to peacekeeping deployments from April 1991 to October 2000. Results:Results indicate that about two-thirds of peacekeepers spoke about their experiences. Most turned to informal networks, such as peers and family members, for support. Those who were highly distressed reported talking to medical and welfare services. Overall, speaking about experiences was associated with less psychological distress. Additionally, two thirds of the sample was in favour of a formalised psychological debriefing on return to the UK. Conclusions: This study suggests that most peacekeepers do not require formalised interventions on homecoming and that more distressed personnel are already accessing formalised support mechanisms. Additionally social support from peers and family appears useful and the UK military should foster all appropriate possibilities for such support.

Combat disclosure in intimate relationships: Mediating the impact of partner support on posttraumatic stress.

“…Some research supports the benefits of disclosing traumatic experiences outside of a formalized treatment setting. For military peacekeepers in the United Kingdom, talking about their experiences was associated with less psychological distress, with most turning to peers and family members (Greenberg et al, 2003). Additionally, written expression paradigms have demonstrated beneficial effects of the soldiers' expressive writing on marital satisfaction for active duty soldiers and their spouses (Baddeley & Pennebaker, 2011).…”

The injured mind in the UK Armed Forces

“…For UK personnel, the TLD process takes place over 24-36 h in Cyprus in a dedicated military facility. The various recreational activities on offer to troops who are decompressing are aimed to promote social support and allow informal discussions, both of which have been previously found to be beneficial for mental health [37,38]. Personnel also receive psychoeducation briefings that focus on the management of traumatic stress, risky driving and adjustment issues.…”

Occupational psychiatry in the armed forces: should depressed soldiers carry guns?

“…When psychiatric casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) is required, patients can be rapidly and efficiently repatriated for inpatient care in the UK or Germany. However, it is worth remembering that the military encourages a high level of peer support, and the majority of armed forces personnel will, in the first instance, rely heavily on their colleagues for their emotional needs rather than relying on medical or welfare services (Greenberg 2003). The military also makes use of a nonmedical peer support programme called Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) and military psychiatrists both teach on the TRiM courses and supervise the TRiM practitioners as they support their peers (Gould 2007).…”