Key indicators for mental disorders in officers of the Armed Forces of Russia (2003–2015)

Objective: Worldwide, there has been substantial controversy with respect to whether military deployment is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour. The present study examined the relationship between lifetime exposure to deployment and deployment-related traumatic events (DRTEs) and past-year suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plans (SP), and suicidal attempts (SA). Method: Data were analysed from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (8161 respondents; response rate, 79.8%; aged 18-60 years). A total of 12 individual items assessed exposure to DRTEs (e.g., combat, witnessing human atrocities, feeling responsible for the death of Canadian or ally personnel, knowing someone who was injured or killed). We examined each individual DRTE type as well as the number of types of DRTEs in relation to suicidal behaviour. Results: Lifetime deployment was not significantly associated with suicidal behaviour. In models adjusted for sociodemographic variables, most of the individual DRTE items and the DRTE count variable were significantly associated with suicidal behaviours (adjusted odds ratio ranged between 1.10 and 5.32). When further adjusting for child abuse exposure, these associations were minimally attenuated, and some became nonsignificant. In models adjusting for mental disorders and child abuse, most DRTEs and number of types of DRTEs became nonsignificant in relation to SI, SP, and SA. Conclusions: Active military personnel exposed to increasing number of DRTEs are at increased risk for SI, SP, and SA. However, most of the association between DRTEs and suicidal behaviour is accounted for by child abuse exposure and mental disorders.

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ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF PREVENTION OF SUICIDE IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATIO

Medico-Biological and Socio-Psychological Problems of Safety in Emergency Situations ◽

10.25016/2541-7487-2019-0-4-50-58 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 50-58

Author(s):

V. K. Shamrei ◽

K. V. Dnov ◽

V. I. Evdokimov

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Early Detection ◽

Behavioral Disorders ◽

Military Personnel ◽

Military Service ◽

Somatoform Disorders ◽

Armed Forces ◽

International Classification Of Diseases ◽

Addictive Disorders ◽

The Military

Relevance. The level of suicides, according to several authors, is one of the most significant indicators of mental health in society, including in the armies of the world.Intention. To analyze suicides and their existing prevention system in the Russian Federation population and Armed Forces in 2007–2018.Methodology. Mental disorders and behavioral disorders (F00–F99 by Chapter V, the International Classification of Diseases of the 10th revision) were analyzed according to 3/MED Form in the military units, where ≥ 80 % of the military personnel served. The longterm trends of the main statistical indicators of suicides and mental disorders among military personnel compared to the Russian population have been established.Results and Discussion. In 2007–2018, the level of suicides in the Russian Armed Forces was (12.00 ± 1.35) per 100 thousand military personnel and was 1.7 times lower than in the population of Russia (20.12 ± 1.56) per 100 thousand (p < 0.001). The level of suicides seems to decrease among the military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces. When analyzing the longterm incidence of mental disorders and the level of suicides in the personnel of the Armed Forces of Russia, no significant correlation was found. At the same time, in a cohort of officers and ensigns, a statistically significant correlation was established between the level of suicides and the general incidence of the Chapter V diseases (r = 0.87; p < 0.01), including stressrelated neurotic and somatoform disorders (F40–F48; r = 0.72; p < 0.01), mental and behavioral disorders associated with the use of psychoactive substances (F10–F19; r = 0.89; p < 0.001). In the military conscripts, there was a correlation between the level of suicides and general morbidity related to Chapter V diseases (r = 0.72; p < 0.05), including personality and behavior disorders in adulthood (F60–F69; r = 0.81; p < 0.01) and organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders (F00– F09; r = 0.76; p < 0.05). It was revealed that among the officers and military personnel under the contract, family and domestic causes of suicide prevailed in contrast to the draft servicemen. Meanwhile somatic and mental diseases as a predominant cause of suicide accounted for a relatively small proportion.Conclusion. Psychoprophylactic measures should be aimed at early detection of servicemen prone to suicidal behavior, effective assistance in resolving militaryprofessional difficulties and domestic problems, as well as at improving their adaptation to military service. Special attention should be paid to the early detection of people with addictive disorders, especially alcohol abusers.

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Help-seeking and receipt of treatment among UK service personnel

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.109.075762 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 197 (2) ◽

pp. 149-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

Amy C. Iversen ◽

Lauren van Staden ◽

Jamie Hacker Hughes ◽

Tess Browne ◽

Neil Greenberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Service Use ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Service Utilisation ◽

Professional Help ◽

Military Health ◽

The Uk

BackgroundFor armed forces personnel, data on help-seeking behaviour and receipt of treatment for mental disorders are important for both research and policy.AimsTo examine mental healthcare service use and receipt of treatment in a sample of the UK military.MethodParticipants were drawn from an existing UK military health cohort. The sample was stratified by reserve status and by participation in the main war-fighting period of the Iraq War. Participants completed a telephone-based structured diagnostic interview comprising the Patient Health Questionnaire and Primary Care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC–PTSD), and a series of questions about service utilisation and treatment receipt.ResultsOnly 23% of those with common mental disorders and still serving in the military were receiving any form of medical professional help. Non-medical sources of help such as chaplains were more widely used. Among regular personnel in receipt of professional help, most were seen in primary care (79%) and the most common treatment was medication or counselling/psychotherapy. Few regular personnel were receiving cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT). These findings are comparable with those reported for the general population.ConclusionsIn the UK armed forces, the majority of those with mental disorders are not currently seeking medical help for their symptoms. Further work to understand barriers to care is important and timely given that this is a group at risk of occupational psychiatric injury.

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Military Occupational Outcomes in Canadian Armed Forces Personnel with and without Deployment-Related Mental Disorders

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0706743716643742 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 61 (6) ◽

pp. 348-357 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

David Boulos ◽

Mark A. Zamorski

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Occupational Outcomes ◽

Canadian Armed Forces

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OBJECTIFICATION OF MENTAL DISORDERS USING SPECIAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TECHNIQUES IN THE SYSTEM OF MONITORING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SERVICEMEN

Diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy ◽

10.22328/2079-5343-2019-10-3-60-70 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 60-70

Author(s):

D. A. Tarumov ◽

A. A. Marchenko ◽

A. G. Trufanov ◽

G. G. Romanov ◽

A. V. Lobachev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Opioid Dependence ◽

Imaging Techniques ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Control Group ◽

Passive Mode ◽

Subcortical Structures ◽

Functional Connections ◽

The Brain

Introduction. Alcoholism and opioid addiction are the leading problems of modern narcology and together with adaptation disorders create a significant contribution to dismission from the ranks of the Armed Forces. Identifying the latent forms of mental disorders is of particular importance for making expert decisions at invoking. Special MRI techniques allow to evaluate the functional and microstructural connectivity of distant parts of the brain.Materials and methods. With the application of functional MRI and tractography, 405 patients were examined from the potential conscription pool: 76 patients with alcohol dependence syndrome, 170 with opioid dependence syndrome, and 9 with adaptation disorders. In patients suffering from adaptation disorders, opioid dependence and alcoholism, an analysis of the neural network of the passive mode of the brain was performed.Results. There was established, comparing to the control group, all the patients suffering from addiction demonstrated a weakening of the functional connections of all brain structures. Compared with the control group, the patients with drug addiction and alcoholism had microstructural deformation between the cortical and subcortical structures, especially between the amygdala and the hippocampus. The weakening of functional and microstructural links in the network of the passive mode of the brain in groups of drug addicts indicates that they have violated the processes of control, thinking and the correct decision making. In case of adaptation disorders, integral bilateral differences in terms of global and local node efficiency between groups of patients with adaptation disorder and healthy individuals showed a higher significance of the network of passive mode of the brain in the system of mutual functional connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex and preclinical. The data obtained create the basis for the creation of biomarkers for patients suffering from mental disorders, which can be used to examine, guide and evaluate the treatment of this pathology.

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Prevalence of Past-Year Mental Disorders in the Canadian Armed Forces, 2002-2013

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0706743716628854 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 61 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. 26S-35S ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Mark A. Zamorski ◽

Rachel E. Bennett ◽

Corneliu Rusu ◽

Murray Weeks ◽

David Boulos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Canadian Armed Forces

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Service suspension for mental disorders in armed forces draftees in the Penghu area

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/1471-244x-12-46 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wei-Chen Chuang ◽

Chin-Han Kao ◽

Chih-Kang Chen ◽

Chia-He Peng ◽

Wu-Hsi Wang

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Armed Forces

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Effects of home on the mental health of British forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.111.097527 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 201 (3) ◽

pp. 193-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Kathleen Mulligan ◽

Norman Jones ◽

Mark Davies ◽

Peter McAllister ◽

Nicola T. Fear ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Home Front ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

The Family ◽

Military Support ◽

Mental Health Effects

BackgroundMost studies of the mental health of UK armed forces focus on retrospective accounts of deployment and few sample personnel while they are deployed.AimsThis study reports the results of a survey of deployed personnel, examining the perceived impact of events at home and military support for the family on current mental health during the deployment.MethodSurveys were conducted with 2042 British forces personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prevalence of common mental disorders was assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was assessed with the PTSD Checklist – Civilian version (PCL-C).ResultsThe prevalence of common mental disorders was 17.8% and of probable PTSD was 2.8%. Perceived home difficulties significantly influenced the mental health of deployed personnel; the greater the perception of negative events in the home environment, the greater the reporting of adverse mental health effects. This finding was independent of combat exposure and was only partially mitigated by being well led and reporting subjectively good unit cohesion; however, the effect of the totality of home-front events was not improved by the latter. Poor perceived military support for the family had a detrimental impact on deployment mental health.ConclusionsThe armed forces offer many support services to the partners and families of deployed personnel and ensuring that the efforts being made on their behalf are well communicated might improve the mental health of deployed personnel.

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Influence of military component and deployment-related experiences on mental disorders among Canadian military personnel who deployed to Afghanistan: a cross-sectional survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018735 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. e018735 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David Boulos ◽

Deniz Fikretoglu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Disorder ◽

Suicide Ideation ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prevalence Difference

ObjectiveThe primary objective was to explore differences in mental health problems (MHP) between serving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) components (Regular Force (RegF); Reserve Force (ResF)) with an Afghanistan deployment and to assess the contribution of both component and deployment experiences to MHP using covariate-adjusted prevalence difference estimates. Additionally, mental health services use (MHSU) was descriptively assessed among those with a mental disorder.DesignData came from the 2013 CAF Mental Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey of serving personnel (n=72 629). Analyses were limited to those with an Afghanistan deployment (population n=35 311; sampled n=4854). Logistic regression compared MHP between RegF and ResF members. Covariate-adjusted prevalence differences were computed.Primary outcome measureThe primary outcomes were MHP, past-year mental disorders, identified using the WHO’s Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and past-year suicide ideation.ResultsResF personnel were less likely to be identified with a past-year anxiety disorder (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.72 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.90)), specifically both generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder, but more likely to be identified with a past-year alcohol abuse disorder (AOR=1.63 (95% CI 1.04 to 2.58)). The magnitude of the covariate-adjusted disorder prevalence differences for component was highest for the any anxiety disorder outcome, 2.8% (95% CI 1.0 to 4.6); lower for ResF. All but one deployment-related experience variable had some association with MHP. The ‘ever felt responsible for the death of a Canadian or ally personnel’ experience had the strongest association with MHP; its estimated covariate-adjusted disorder prevalence difference was highest for the any (of the six measured) mental disorder outcome (11.2% (95% CI 6.6 to 15.9)). Additionally, ResF reported less past-year MHSU and more past-year civilian MHSU.ConclusionsPast-year MHP differences were identified between components. Our findings suggest that although deployment-related experiences were highly associated with MHP, these only partially accounted for MHP differences between components. Additional research is needed to further investigate MHSU differences between components.

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Issues of prevention of suicidal behavior in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Vestnik of Russian military medical Academy ◽

10.17816/brmma25923 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 74-77

Author(s):

V K Shamrey ◽

K V Dnov

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Military Personnel ◽

Military Service ◽

Armed Forces ◽

Steady Increase ◽

Addictive Disorders ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

The Russian Federation

The issues of prevention of suicidal incidents in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are considered. The analysis of suicide prevalence among military personnel of various categories and their prevailing causes for the period from 2013 to 2017 is indicated. Indicates a change in the percentage ratio of various categories of military personnel who committed suicide, with a steady increase in the proportion of privates and sergeants serving in military service under the contract (from 24,6% in 2011 to 57,4% in 2017). It was established that among the servicemen under the contract family and everyday reasons for suicide prevailed, while conscripts were military professional. A comparison was also made of the long-term (2007-2017) dynamics of suicide rates and the incidence of mental disorders among military personnel, and certain patterns were identified. Thus, in the group of officers and ensigns, a significant correlation was noted between the long-term dynamics of suicide rates with neurotic (r=0,74) and addictive disorders (r=0,86), as well as general mental morbidity (r=0,83), and for conscripts, with personality disorders (r=0,79) and organic mental disorders (r=0,71). A comparison of the long-term dynamics of the overall incidence of mental disorders and the suicide rate among conscripts also showed a positive correlation (r=0,69). Analyzed the system of prevention of suicidal incidents in military personnel, which currently exists and proposed measures for its improvement, including the areas of activity of officials for the prevention of suicidal incidents in the military. It also indicates the need to shift the focus from specific prevention (direct detection and prevention of suicidal actions in military personnel with mental disorders) to non-specific (prevention of general mental distress and suicidal tendencies in mentally healthy people).

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