Effective Support for Serving Personnel

Abstract

The British Armed Forces aim to provide a capable workforce, able to undertake military duties without mental health (MH) problems. This is achieved by maximising the psychological support afforded to soldiers by providing immediate and effective MH care wherever they are serving. The most common MH disorders affecting UK Armed Forces are depression, alcohol misuse and anxiety. Military Mental Health (MMH) provides an occupational MH service that makes recommendations regarding a service person’s suitability for service. In a peacetime setting, this is delivered through a clearly defined integrated care pathway between Primary Health Care, military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) and Secondary Health Care. DCMHs consist of multi-disciplinary clinical staff, providing service personnel with a medium for sharing problems, whilst utilising recognised treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) including Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. Hospital care is provided within the NHS through a defined contract. Performance indicators and military satisfaction surveys indicate that the British Armed Forces MH service is of a very high standard