A clinical follow-up study of reserve forces personnel treated for mental health problems following demobilisation

Abstract

Background: The Reserves Mental Health Programme (RMHP) provides a clinical service for members of the United Kingdom's Reserve Forces deployed to combat operations since 2003.

Aim: To assess whether mental health and occupational functioning changed after treatment.

Methods: We examined a treatment group with operationally attributable mental health problems and a non-intervention group with non-operationally attributable problems. A self-report, repeat measures study design examined post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), common mental disorders, alcohol use and occupational functioning at follow up delivered by either telephone or post.

Results: One hundred three reservists were offered an initial assessment. Adjusted response rates were 66.7% (n = 16) for the no treatment group and 62.7% (n = 37) for the treatment group. The treatment group were more likely to be cases at baseline on all mental health outcome measures other than PTSD, but at follow up, they were no more likely to be so. A one-way ANCOVA was conducted to evaluate treatment outcome. This was not significant for all measures except for PTSD. On completion of treatment, three quarters of serving personnel returned to full occupational fitness.

Conclusion: The RMHP appears to offer a clinically and occupationally effective intervention to recently de-mobilised reservists with operationally attributable mental health problems.

Keywords:

• United Kingdom armed forces
• reserve forces
• mental health
• occupational treatment
• clinical

Acknowledgements

Simon Wessely is partially funded by the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust/Institute of Psychiatry NIHR (National Institute of Health Research) Biomedical Research Centre and is the civilian consultant advisor in psychiatry to the Army. N.J. is a full-time reserve member of the Defence Medical Services and N.G. is a full-time active service medical officer and both are seconded to King's College London; although paid by the Ministry of Defence they were not directed in any way by the Ministry of Defence in relation to this article. P.W., A.B.B., D.B. and J.D. were all MoD employees at the time, when the study took place but were not directed in any way by the MoD in the conduct and reporting of the study.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.