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Perceived stigma and barriers to care in UK Armed Forces personnel and veterans with and without probable mental disorders.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Previous studies have found that perceptions of mental health related stigma can negatively impact help-seeking, particularly in military samples. Moreover, perceptions of stigma and barriers to care can vary between individuals with different psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to examine whether perceptions of stigma and barriers to care differed in a UK military sample between those with and without a current likely mental health diagnosis. METHOD:Structured telephone interviews were carried out with 1432 service personnel and veterans who reported recent subjective mental ill health in the last 3 years. Participants completed self-reported measures relating to perceived stigma, barriers to care and psychological wellbeing. RESULTS:Those meeting criteria for probable common mental disorders (CMD) and PTSD were significantly more likely to report concerns relating to perceived and internalised stigma and barriers to care compared to participants without a likely mental disorder. Compared to individuals with likely CMD and alcohol misuse, those with probable PTSD reported higher levels of stigma-related concerns and barriers to care - although this difference was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS:These results indicate that perceptions of stigma continue to exist in UK serving personnel and military veterans with current probable mental disorders. Efforts to address particular concerns (e.g. being seen as weak; difficulty accessing appointments) may be worthwhile and, ultimately, lead to improvements in military personnel and veteran wellbeing.

SUBMITTER: Williamson V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6881983 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundPrevious research demonstrates that less than 50% of military veterans experiencing mental health difficulties seek formal support. Veterans often struggle to identify problems as mental health difficulties. In addition, they may fail to recognize the need for support before reaching a crisis point and face difficulties navigating care pathways to access support.ObjectiveA feasibility trial was conducted to assess a novel digital smartphone app (Mental Health Toolkit for Veterans Project [MeT4VeT]) for UK Armed Forces (UKAF) veterans experiencing mental health difficulties. The trial aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of trial procedures for a later randomized controlled trial (RCT) and to assess the acceptability of the MeT4VeT app.MethodsParticipants were recruited at UK military medical centers, by advertising on social media, and through veteran third-sector organizations between February and November 2021, and assessed for eligibility (male, owned a smartphone, served at least 2 years in the UKAF, left the UKAF within the last 2 years, not undertaking formal mental health treatment). Eligible participants were assigned, on a 1:1 ratio, to either the intervention group (full app) or a control group (noninteractive app with signposting information). Three key objectives were determined a priori to assess the practicality of running an RCT including an assessment of recruitment and retention, evaluation of the technical app delivery and measurement processes, and acceptability and usability of the intervention.ResultsIn total, 791 individuals completed the participant information sheet, of which 261 (33%) were ineligible, 377 (48%) declined or were unable to be contacted for consent, and 103 (13%) did not download the app or complete the baseline measures. Of this, 50 participants completed baseline measures and were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=24) or the control group (n=26). The trial was effective at enabling both the technical delivery of the intervention and collection of outcome measures, with improvements in mental health demonstrated for the intervention group from baseline to the 3-month follow-up. Recruitment and retention challenges were highlighted with only 50 out of the 530 eligible participants enrolled in the trial. The acceptability and usability of the MeT4VeT app were generally supported, and it was reported to be a useful, accessible way for veterans to monitor and manage their mental health.ConclusionsThe results highlighted that further work is needed to refine recruitment processes and maintain engagement with the app. Following this, an RCT can be considered to robustly assess the ability of the app to positively affect mental health outcomes indicated within this trial.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05993676; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05993676.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Chronic pain conditions and mental disorders have high prevalence rates in military populations. However, few investigations have examined the comorbidity between chronic pain conditions and specific mental disorders among Canadian active military personnel. METHODS:We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (CFMHS) concerning the population of regular members. Diagnostic interviews assessed the presence of mental disorders, and participants self-reported chronic pain conditions (i.e., arthritis, back problems, musculoskeletal conditions, migraines) and indicators of pain severity. We used multiple logistic regressions to assess associations between chronic pain conditions and mental disorders. We used cross-tabulations to assess the prevalence of pain severity indicators in comorbid relationships compared with the chronic pain condition alone. We used moderation analyses to examine the interactions between pain condition by pain severity, and pain condition by activity limitation, respectively, on mental disorders. RESULTS:The CFMHS included data from 6696 regular members and had a response rate of 79.8%. About one-quarter (n = 1761) of military personnel reported having chronic pain. In the fully adjusted model, all assessed pain conditions were significantly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (odds ratio [OR] range 1.86-2.55), and several pain conditions were associated with major depressive episode, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Back problems were significantly associated with all mental disorders apart from alcohol use disorders (OR range 1.40-2.17). Cross-tabulations showed higher prevalence estimates of endorsement for pain severity indicators among pain conditions and comorbid mental disorders, compared with pain conditions alone. Formal moderation analyses showed a significant relationship between migraine and activity limitation on PTSD. INTERPRETATION:Chronic pain conditions are prevalent and co-occur with mental disorders among Canadian regular force members. Greater understanding of these chronic pain conditions and mental disorders and their impact on people's abilities to adapt to both military and civilian life is needed.

Project description:IntroductionThis is the fourth phase of a longitudinal cohort study (2022-2023) to investigate the health and well-being of UK serving (Regulars and Reservists) and ex-serving personnel (veterans) who served during the era of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The cohort was established in 2003 and has collected data over three previous phases including Phase 1 (2004-2006), Phase 2 (2007-2009) and Phase 3 (2014-2016).Methods and analysisParticipants are eligible to take part if they completed the King's Centre for Military Health Research Health and Wellbeing Cohort Study at Phase 3 (2014-2016) and consented to be recontacted (N=7608). Participants will be recruited through email, post and text message to complete an online or paper questionnaire. Data are being collected between January 2022 and September 2023. Health and well-being measures include measures used in previous phases that assess common mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol misuse. Other areas of interest assess employment, help-seeking and family relationships. New topics include the impact of the British withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, complex PTSD (C-PTSD), illicit drug use, gambling and loneliness. Analyses will describe the effect size between groups deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan or not deployed, and those who are currently in service versus ex-service personnel, respectively, reporting prevalences with 95% CIs, and ORs with 95% CI. Multivariable logistic and multiple linear regression analyses will be conducted to assess various health and well-being outcomes and associations with risk and protective factors.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been granted by the Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 2061/MODREC/21). Participants are provided with information and agree to a series of consent statements before taking part. Findings will be disseminated to UK Armed Forces stakeholders and international research institutions through stakeholder meetings, project reports and scientific publications.

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Perceived stigma and barriers to care in UK Armed Forces personnel and veterans with and without probable mental disorders.

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