Abstract
In the UK there is a paucity of research about the needs of partners who are supporting ex-service personnel with mental health difficulties. In this study, we surveyed the mental health needs and barriers to help-seeking within a sample of partners of UK veterans who had been diagnosed with PTSD. Our sample included 100 participants. Forty-five percent met criteria for alcohol problems, 39% for depression, 37% for generalised anxiety disorder and 17% for symptoms of probable PTSD. Participants who met case criteria for depression, anxiety and problems with alcohol were more likely to report a greater number of help-seeking barriers. Participants who were experiencing mental health difficulties were more likely to endorse barriers connected to stigmatising beliefs than those associated with practical issues around accessing mental health services. The evidence presented suggests there may be a considerable burden of mental illness within this population. It would seem prudent to conduct further work to understand how best to address this clinical need.
Highlights
Since the start of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2002 respectively, there have been a number of ongoing research projects investigating the mental health of veterans who served on these deployments [1,2,3,4]
Combat Stress was selected as a place to recruit because it is a national service that specialises in treating UK veterans who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
This study is the first of its kind to explore the mental health of caregiving partners of UK veterans with PTSD
Summary
Since the start of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2002 respectively, there have been a number of ongoing research projects investigating the mental health of veterans who served on these deployments [1,2,3,4]. A recent study of UK veterans seeking help for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reported that between 53%–59% were in a relationship [5]. This suggests that there may be notable numbers of partners supporting veterans with PTSD in the UK. A longer term effect has been shown between deployment and mental health difficulties in military partners. A study of Australian Vietnam veterans who had served 30 years previously, observed that for 11 out of 17 psychiatric diagnoses partners were at rates above general population levels [8]
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