The mental health of the UK Armed Forces in the 21st century: resilience in the face of adversity

Abstract

The recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have attracted considerable political and media interest in the mental health of UK military personnel. As a result of the close operational collaboration between US and UK forces, there have inevitably been many comparisons drawn between the mental health status of the two forces. Considerable research activity suggests that the mental health of UK forces appear to have remained relatively resilient in spite of their considerable exposure to traumatic events; one stark exception to this is the high rates of alcohol misuse which seem to be related to deployment. This paper explores the recently published literature relating to UK military forces and attempts to draw conclusions about the reasons for the apparent resilience shown by the majority of the regular forces.

Anxiety and depression following traumatic limb amputation: A systematic review

“…This issue may be compounded in the military veteran group [7]. While recent evidence has suggested that rates of mental health morbidity in the United Kingdom military population may be lower than in other national military services due to their resilience in the face of adversity there was little evidence regarding levels of long-term psychological effects [26].…”

Successful outcomes following neurorehabilitation in military traumatic brain injury patients in the United Kingdom

“…It is worth noting that the prevalence of PTSD in deployed UK personnel is approximately 4% (rising to 6% in combat troops), against a background rate of 3% in the general UK population. 29,30 Likewise, the prevalence of common mental disorders in both deployed and nondeployed personnel is approximately 20%, which is comparable with the general UK population. 29,30 Our rehabilitation package at DMRC includes integrated psychological and psychiatric support as necessary.…”

“…29,30 Likewise, the prevalence of common mental disorders in both deployed and nondeployed personnel is approximately 20%, which is comparable with the general UK population. 29,30 Our rehabilitation package at DMRC includes integrated psychological and psychiatric support as necessary. However, mental health disorders may cause persistent symptoms affecting well-being and employability.…”

Personal resilience and coping Part II: Identifying resilience and coping among U.S. military service members and veterans with implications for work

“…Longer time-in-service lends itself to the establishment of greater camaraderie among those with similar experiences. Given the positive impact of leadership and unit cohesion in promoting resilience [50], one possible contribution to the increase in PTSD rates among reservists is their relative isolation from others with similar experiences [51]. For example, active duty and reservists have been shown to have similar rates of PTSD and related symptoms following deployment to Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom; however, shortly after deployment the rates for reserve personnel increased, while the rates for active duty did not [51].…”