scholarly journals Combat Stress And Mental Health In Veterans

Men's Health ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 302-309
Author(s):  
Walter Busuttil
Keyword(s):  
2005 ◽  
Vol 186 (6) ◽  
pp. 476-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Turner ◽  
Mathew D. Kiernan ◽  
Andrew G. McKechanie ◽  
Peter J. C. Finch ◽  
Frank B. McManus ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe view that most military personnel evacuated from war zones are suffering from combat stress reactions, or are otherwise traumatised by the horrors of war, has an impact on all aspects of military psychiatry.AimsTo delineate the reasons for psychiatric aeromedical evacuation from Iraq from the start of build-up of UK forces in January 2003 until the end of October that year, 6 months after the end of formal hostilities.MethodA retrospective study was conducted of field and in-patient psychiatric assessments of 116 military personnel evacuated to the UK military psychiatric in-patient facility in Catterick Garrison.ResultsEvacuees were mainly non-combatants (69%). A significant proportion were in reserve service (21%) and had a history of contact with mental health services (37%). Only 3% had a combat stress reaction. In over 85% of cases evacuation was for low mood attributed to separation from friends or family, or difficulties adjusting to the environment.ConclusionsThese findings have implications especially for screening for suitability for deployment, and for understanding any longer-term mental health problems arising in veterans from Iraq.


1995 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Shalom ◽  
Rami Benbenishty ◽  
Zahava Solomon

Author(s):  
Maheshkumar Kuppusamy ◽  
Veni Ramaswamy ◽  
Poonguzhali Shanmugam ◽  
Padmavathi Ramaswamy

Abstract Objectives Covid-19 Pandemic has affected everyone’s mental health. In addition to several preventive measures such as wearing a mask, using sanitizer, measures also need to be taken to prevent anxiety and depressive disorders due to this unexpected crisis situation. Practicing yoga is one of the simple, scientific methods to combat stress and prevent anxiety among children. Methods The scientific evidence and anecdotal experiences on benefits of yoga is described in this paper, highlighting the importance of yoga in nurturing the mental well-being in children. Results Scientifically designed and conducted studies as part of the research programs by health professionals objectively conclude that mental health parameters improve significantly with yoga as an intervention. In addition to mental health, yoga will also improve the physical health and boost immunity among children which will also help in reducing the infection rate in children. Conclusions As a way forward, authors strongly recommend establishing yoga as a curriculum at scale to cover the vast vulnerable population of young children who are the future of the nation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0957154X2199821
Author(s):  
Stefanie Caroline Linden

During World War I, civilians became a target of the war machine. Air raids transformed the lives of those not involved in active combat and blurred the lines between the home front and the war front. This paper argues that the experience of air raids in World War I was comparable to the combat stress at the Western Front. The author bases her argument on contemporary publications in medical journals, measures taken by British authorities to prevent air-raid shock, and contemporary case records. The narratives of air-raid shock – similarly to those of shell-shocked soldiers – reflect the feelings of terror and loss of control, and demonstrate the profound effect these experiences could have on individuals’ mental health.


1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 220-222
Author(s):  
Martin P. Deahl

When Britain committed an armoured division to the Gulf in the autumn of 1990, it was inevitable that psychiatrists and other mental health personnel would be required. Battleshock, or combat stress, is important to the Army – it not only accounts for significant numbers of casualties in any land war, but, unlike other casualties, represents a potentially avoidable loss of manpower and important source of reinforcement. Based largely on the experience of Arab-Israeli conflicts it is believed that, with appropriate management, up to 90% of battleshock cases can be returned to duty within seven days. Moreover, it is thought that early recognition and intervention may reduce the incidence of PTSD and other long-term psychiatric sequelae (Foy et al 1987; Solomon & Benbenishty, 1986). Fortunately, Battleshock claimed few victims in the Gulf, due mainly to the brevity of the land war and the high state of motivation and morale of the allied force. The effectiveness of the Army's policy of early recognition of battleshock cases with minimal medical intervention on the battlefield and rapid return to duty remains uncertain and untested (Dunning, 1990).


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Leightley ◽  
Roberto J Rona ◽  
James Shearer ◽  
Charlotte Williamson ◽  
Cerisse Gunasinghe ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Alcohol misuse is higher in the UK Armed Forces than in the general population. Previous research has shown that interventions delivered via smartphones are efficacious in promoting self-monitoring of alcohol use, have utility in reducing alcohol consumption, and have a broad reach. OBJECTIVE This single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to assess the efficacy of a 28-day brief alcohol intervention delivered via a smartphone app (<i>Drinks</i>:Ration) in reducing weekly self-reported alcohol consumption between baseline and 3-month follow-up among veterans who drink at a hazardous or harmful level and receive or have received support for mental health symptoms in a clinical setting. METHODS In this two-arm, single-blinded RCT, a smartphone app that includes interactive features designed to enhance participants’ motivation and personalized messaging is compared with a smartphone app that provides only government guidance on alcohol consumption. The trial will be conducted in a veteran population that has sought help through Combat Stress, a UK veteran’s mental health charity. Recruitment, consent, and data collection will be carried out automatically through the <i>Drinks</i>:Ration platform. The primary outcome is the change in self-reported weekly alcohol consumption between baseline (day 0) and 3-month follow-up (day 84) as measured using the Time-Line Follow back for Alcohol Consumption. Secondary outcome measures include (1) change in the baseline to 3-month follow-up (day 84) Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test score and (2) change in the baseline to 3-month follow-up (day 84) World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF score to assess the quality of adjusted life years. Process evaluation measures include (1) app use and (2) usability ratings as measured by the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire. The primary and secondary outcomes will also be reassessed at the 6-month follow-up (day 168) to assess the longer-term benefits of the intervention, which will be reported as a secondary outcome. RESULTS The study will begin recruitment in October 2020 and is expected to require 12 months to complete. The study results will be published in 2022. CONCLUSIONS This study assesses whether a smartphone app is efficacious in reducing self-reported alcohol consumption in a veteran population that has sought help through Combat Stress using personalized messaging and interactive features. This innovative approach, if successful, may provide a means to deliver a low-cost health promotion program that has the potential to reach large groups, in particular those who are geographically dispersed, such as military personnel. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04494594; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04494594 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/19720


10.2196/19720 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e19720
Author(s):  
Daniel Leightley ◽  
Roberto J Rona ◽  
James Shearer ◽  
Charlotte Williamson ◽  
Cerisse Gunasinghe ◽  
...  

Background Alcohol misuse is higher in the UK Armed Forces than in the general population. Previous research has shown that interventions delivered via smartphones are efficacious in promoting self-monitoring of alcohol use, have utility in reducing alcohol consumption, and have a broad reach. Objective This single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to assess the efficacy of a 28-day brief alcohol intervention delivered via a smartphone app (Drinks:Ration) in reducing weekly self-reported alcohol consumption between baseline and 3-month follow-up among veterans who drink at a hazardous or harmful level and receive or have received support for mental health symptoms in a clinical setting. Methods In this two-arm, single-blinded RCT, a smartphone app that includes interactive features designed to enhance participants’ motivation and personalized messaging is compared with a smartphone app that provides only government guidance on alcohol consumption. The trial will be conducted in a veteran population that has sought help through Combat Stress, a UK veteran’s mental health charity. Recruitment, consent, and data collection will be carried out automatically through the Drinks:Ration platform. The primary outcome is the change in self-reported weekly alcohol consumption between baseline (day 0) and 3-month follow-up (day 84) as measured using the Time-Line Follow back for Alcohol Consumption. Secondary outcome measures include (1) change in the baseline to 3-month follow-up (day 84) Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test score and (2) change in the baseline to 3-month follow-up (day 84) World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF score to assess the quality of adjusted life years. Process evaluation measures include (1) app use and (2) usability ratings as measured by the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire. The primary and secondary outcomes will also be reassessed at the 6-month follow-up (day 168) to assess the longer-term benefits of the intervention, which will be reported as a secondary outcome. Results The study will begin recruitment in October 2020 and is expected to require 12 months to complete. The study results will be published in 2022. Conclusions This study assesses whether a smartphone app is efficacious in reducing self-reported alcohol consumption in a veteran population that has sought help through Combat Stress using personalized messaging and interactive features. This innovative approach, if successful, may provide a means to deliver a low-cost health promotion program that has the potential to reach large groups, in particular those who are geographically dispersed, such as military personnel. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04494594; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04494594 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/19720


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