Military mental health & Dementia Study (MIDST)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Case-control study examining the link between service related mental-ill health and dementia in military veterans over the age of 65.
IRAS ID
235820
Contact name
Neil Greenberg
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Dementia represents a significant cost to both patient caregivers and the NHS (approximately £26.3 billion annually) (1) and with 64% of ex-service personnel over the age of 65 in the UK (2), there is a pressing need to understand the relationship between mental ill health and dementia in UK veterans.
Research has found links between mental ill health and the development of dementia in the military veteran population, specifically depression (3) and PTSD (4; 5). However, the majority of the research exploring the relationship between dementia and mental health is of uncertain quality and is largely based in the USA; therefore, it remains unclear whether such links exist in UK ex-service personnel.
This study, funded by the Royal British Legion, will be the first to explore whether service-related mental ill health is associated with the subsequent development of dementia in UK veterans (aged 65 years and older). Case control methodology will be employed which will produce valuable data on the nature and strength of the relationship between service-related mental ill health and dementia. Mental ill health and dementia status will be derived from medical and service records. Qualitative interviews will also be conducted with longstanding companions (someone who had known the veteran well) to explore their perceptions of the impact of military service on the mental health of the veteran in order to help identify the relationship between mental ill health and dementia.
References
1.Alzheimer's Society (2014). What is Dementia? (https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=106). Accessed 18th February 2016.
2.Royal British Legion (2014). A UK Household Survey of the Ex-Service Community. (https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/media/2275/2014householdsurveyreport.pdf). Accessed 23rd February 2016.
3.Byers, A. L., Covinsky, K. E., Barnes, D. E. & Yaffe, K. (2012). Dysthymia and depression increase risk of dementia and mortality among older veterans. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 20, 664-72.
4.Yaffe, K., Vittinghoff, E., Lindquist, K., Barnes, D., Covinsky, K. E., Neylan, T., Kluse, M. & Marmar, C. (2010). Posttraumatic stress disorder and risk of dementia among US veterans. Archives of General Psychiatry 67, 608-13.
5.Qureshi, S. U., Kimbrell, T., Pyne, J. M., Magruder, K. M., Hudson, T. J., Petersen, N. J., Yu, H. J., Schulz, P. E. & Kunik, M. E. (2010). Greater prevalence and incidence of dementia in older veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. The Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 58, 1627-33.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
18/IEC08/0044
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion