Restoring our Veteran’s Mental Health - Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Restoring our Veteran’s Mental Health – developing a gold-standard service to meet the need
IRAS ID
278764
Contact name
Zaffer Iqbal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Gardiner Hill Foundation
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
researchregistry5415, Research Registry
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Research Summary-
Research has identified that over the past decade, military personnel requiring the assessment of trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has doubled. High levels of substance misuse, hazardous alcohol consumption and aggression have been observed and linked with veterans' mental health. This has affected veterans' families and the wider community due to their mental health difficulties posing as a risk factor for domestic violence and violent crimes occurring at a higher rate than in the general population. This has identified a clear need for better multi-faceted services for veterans due to the life changing impact this can create.Whilst there are services available for veterans within the United Kingdom, locally in North East Lincolnshire lengthy waiting lists pose a barrier to these bespoke services. The present research aims to further the understanding of veterans needs in the local area, beyond a mere focus of mental health needs, with the foundation being that mental health difficulties are maintained by a variety of environmental and personal variables.
This study entails a 12-month pilot project to complete an in-depth qualitative and quantitative needs assessment, determining the unmet needs and gap in provisions for veterans' mental health and social care needs. The study will require a representative sample of ex-military personnel from the North East Lincolnshire locality. A convenience sample of participants will be collected through opportunity and volunteer sampling utilising local organisations such as charities, non-profit organisations, Humberside Police and GP's. Participants will be incentivised with £25 worth of food vouchers upon completion of the study.
The Camberwell Assessment of Need, a comprehensive needs assessment tool will be used in semi-structured interviews which veterans will be invited to attend. Demographic information will be collected alongside participants being given the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure to provide quantitative scores of distress.
Summary of results-
: There was several unmet needs of Veterans in the North East Lincolnshire area, including welfare benefits, managing psychological/ mental health problems, social life and occupation. Three key themes were identified as barriers to Veterans' needs being met. This included accessibility (of services, transport, benefits, appointments), being understood (e.g., not relating to civilians, and in regard to unique mental and physical health challenges), and mistrust (related to being let down by services, the Armed Forces and the trauma they have experienced). From this, a local action plan was created to improve Veterans access to a range of services. This included future recruitment of Veteran experts-by-experience to reduce stigma and to guide changes to services locally.REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/PR/0187
Date of REC Opinion
8 Oct 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion