Mental health disorders and alcohol misuse among UK military veterans and the general population : a comparison study

Rhead, R and MacManus, D and Jones, M and Greenberg, N and Fear, NT and Goodwin, L (2022) Mental health disorders and alcohol misuse among UK military veterans and the general population : a comparison study. Psychological Medicine, 52 (2). pp. 292-302. ISSN 0033-2917

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Abstract

Background For a small minority of personnel, military service can have a negative impact on their mental health. Yet no studies have assessed how the mental health of UK veterans (who served during the recent operations in Afghanistan or Iraq) compares to non-veterans, to determine if they are at a disadvantage. We examine the prevalence of mental disorders and alcohol misuse in UK veterans compared to non-veterans. Methods Veteran data were taken from the third phase of the King's Centre for Military Health Research cohort study (n = 2917). These data were compared with data on non-veterans taken from two large general population surveys: 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (n = 5871) and wave 6 of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS, n = 22 760). Results We found that, overall, UK veterans who served at the time of recent military operations were more likely to report a significantly higher prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) (23% v. 16%), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (8% v. 5%) and alcohol misuse (11% v. 6%) than non-veterans. Stratifying by gender showed that the negative impact of being a veteran on mental health and alcohol misuse was restricted to male veterans. Being ill or disabled was associated with a higher prevalence of CMD and PTSD for both veterans and non-veterans. Conclusion Whilst the same sociodemographic groups within the veteran and non-veteran populations seemed to have an increased risk of mental health problems (e.g. those who were unemployed), male veterans, in particular, appear to be at a distinct disadvantage compared to those who have never served.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Psychological Medicine
Additional Information:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/mental-health-disorders-and-alcohol-misuse-among-uk-military-veterans-and-the-general-population-a-comparison-study/A7A8AAF182C7AA8B228A340666A1DDE6 The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Psychological Medicine, 52 (2), pp 292-302 2022, © 2022 Cambridge University Press.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2738
Subjects:
?? psychiatry and mental healthapplied psychology ??
ID Code:
166441
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
22 Feb 2022 11:15
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
12 Feb 2024 00:44