VOICE Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Veteran & Occupation Impact Evaluation Study
IRAS ID
216823
Contact name
Neil Greenberg
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 27 days
Research summary
The number of older veterans in the UK is growing, with 46% of the ex-service community aged 75 years and older (Royal British Legion, 2014). This is in contrast to the 10% of the UK population that are aged 75 and older. However, little is known about the impact of military service on the life of older veterans.
The limited available research indicates that military service may have implications for physical health later in life. Research with WWII veterans has found an increased cardiovascular risk compared with recent surgical and heart patients (Falger et al., 1992). Military service has also been found to be associated with negative psychological outcomes in older veterans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression (Averill & Beck, 2000; Royal British Legion, 2014).However, research in the general population has found many elderly individuals to report depression and physical health problems (Cotten et al., 2014; Fiske et al., 2009). Therefore, it remains unclear whether or not the physical and mental health needs of older veterans are a result of their military service or a feature of ageing.
To address this gap, the current research will use mixed-methods to examine the impact of occupation on the life course; examine perceptions of military service; explore the effect of occupation on mental health; and investigate the impact of occupation on physical wellbeing. Older veterans (≥ 65 years), non-veterans (≥ 65 years) and their close companions will be interviewed and complete questionnaires to discover more about their experiences. The study will run from 05/12/16-30/07/18 and participants will be recruited from several avenues, including GP practices, mental health services, third sector organisation working with veterans, and walk-in centres. The findings from this study stand to inform clinical practice by providing clinicians with a more thorough understanding of the needs of older veterans.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0077
Date of REC Opinion
9 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion