Introduction. The mental health of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) populations emerged as an important concern in the wake of difficult CAF deployments in the 1990s. This article is the first comprehensive summary of findings from subsequent surveys of mental health and well-being in CAF Veterans, undertaken to inform mental health service renewals by CAF Health Services and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Methods. Epidemiological findings in journal publications and government reports were summarized from four cross-sectional national surveys: a survey of Veterans participating in VAC programs in 1999 and three surveys of health and well-being representative of whole populations of Veterans in 2003, 2010, and 2013. Results. Although most Veterans had good mental health, many had mental health problems that affected functioning, well-being, and service utilization. Recent Veterans had a higher prevalence of mental health problems than the general Canadian population, earlier-era Veterans, and possibly the serving population. There were associations between mental health conditions and difficult adjustment to civilian life, physical health, and multiple socio-demographic factors. Mental health problems were key drivers of disability. Comparisons with other studies were complicated by methodological, era, and cultural differences. Discussion. The survey findings support ongoing multifactorial approaches to optimizing mental health and well-being in CAF Veterans, including strong military-to-civilian transition support and access to effective mental and physical health services. Studies underway of transitioning members and families in the peri-release period of the military-to-civilian transition and longitudinal studies of mental health in Veterans will address important knowledge gaps.

The 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (CFMHS) collected detailed information on mental health problems, their impacts, occupational and nonoccupational determinants of mental health, and the use of mental health services from a random sample of 8200 serving personnel. The objective of this article is to provide a firm scientific foundation for understanding and interpreting the CFMHS findings. Methods: This narrative review first provides a snapshot of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), focusing on 2 key determinants of mental health: the deployment of more than 40,000 personnel in support of the mission in Afghanistan and the extensive renewal of the CAF mental health system. The findings of recent population-based CAF mental health research are reviewed, with a focus on findings from the very similar mental health survey done in 2002. Finally, key aspects of the methods of the 2013 CFMHS are presented. Results: The findings of 20 peer-reviewed publications using the 2002 mental health survey data are reviewed, along with those of 25 publications from other major CAF mental health research projects executed over the past decade. Conclusions: More than a decade of population-based mental health research in the CAF has provided a detailed picture of its mental health and use of mental health services. This knowledge base and the homology of the 2013 survey with the 2002 CAF survey and general population surveys in 2002 and 2012 will provide an unusual opportunity to use the CFMHS to situate mental health in the CAF in a historical and societal perspective. Abré gé Objectif : L'Enquête de 2013 sur la santé mentale dans les Forces canadiennes (ESMFC) a recueilli une information détaillée sur les problèmes de santé mentale, leurs effets, les déterminants professionnels et non professionnels de la santé mentale, et l'utilisation des services de santé mentale dans un échantillon aléatoire de 8200 militaires en activité. L'objectif de cet article est d'offrir une fondation scientifique solide pour comprendre et interpréter les résultats de l'ESMFC. Mé thodes : Cette revue narrative offre d'abord un portrait des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC), axé sur deux principaux déterminants de la santé mentale : le déploiement de plus de 40 000 militaires pour soutenir la mission en Afghanistan et le renouvellement approfondi du système de santé mentale des FAC. Les résultats d'une récente étude sur la santé mentale dans la population menée par les FAC sont examinés, parallèlement aux résultats de l'enquête sur la santé mentale très semblable menée en 2002. Enfin, les principaux aspects des méthodes de l'ESMFC de 2013 sont présentés.

Comparaison de la pré valence des troubles mentaux et des comportements suicidaires de l'anné e pré cé dente entre les Forces armé es canadiennes et la population gé né rale canadienne

Objective: More than 40

An important minority of personnel will disclose symptoms of mental health problems during postdeployment screening. Differences in risk factors seen in different nations highlight the need for caution in applying the results of research in one population to another.