Identifying the risk factors associated with food insecurity in the UK veteran population: a nationwide survey.

There has been limited focus placed on exploring food insecurity within the UK-ex-Armed Forces population. The present study aims to build on initial work by investigating the prevalence and associated factors of food insecurity within UK veterans and their families and their current health status. 881 veterans (or a family member) who previously served in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, Army and the Royal Air Force completed an online survey to explore health status, food insecurity and receipt of benefits.

Facilitating Domestic and Civic-Style Activity in the Later Life of Army Veterans: The Influencing Culture of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea has been home to veterans of the British Army since 1692. Opportunities to remain physically active throughout the life course of its residents include participation in numerous hobbies within the quasi-military environment, and in the civic engagement representational role of the Chelsea Pensioner. This study examines the influence the Royal Hospital Chelsea culture has on resident opportunities to remain active.

Validation of a complex needs indicator for veterans in the UK using a composite indicators' method.

Objective: To construct an indicator for assessing the complexity of UK veterans' needs.

Study Design: Cross-sectional, secondary analysis.

Methods: The study applied principal component (PCA) analysis as the method to determine the weights of different needs based on their interactions with each other, the effectiveness of the model was evaluated using bootstrapping.

Understanding evidence and provision of services around social isolation and loneliness of military widow/ers: A scoping review.

Background: Whilst the uniqueness of loneliness and social isolation is now recognised for members of the Armed Forces Community, there is currently a lack of evidence examining these experiences within the Military Widow/er population. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to search and synthesise the current evidence base exploring experiences of loneliness and social isolation in this community.

Method: Six databases were searched; ASSIA; CINAHL; ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global; PsycArticles; Medline; Web of Science.

Implementing an electronic public health record for policy planning in the UK military sector: Validation of a secure hashing algorithm.

The digitalisation of healthcare services is a major resource to inform policy-makers. However, the availability of data and the establishment of a data flow present new issues to address, such as data anonymisation, records' reliability, and data linkage. The veterans' population in the UK presents complex needs and many organisations provide social and healthcare support, but their databases are not linked or aggregated to provide a comprehensive overview of service planning.

Group early intervention eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy as a video-conference psychotherapy with frontline/emergency workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury-An RCT study.

Objective: Frontline mental health, emergency, law enforcement, and social workers have faced unprecedented psychological distress in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the RCT (Randomized Controls Trial) study was to investigate the effectiveness of a Group EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy (Group Traumatic Episode Protocol-GTEP) in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Moral Injury. The treatment focus is an early intervention, group trauma treatment, delivered remotely as video-conference psychotherapy (VCP).

A protocol for developing a complex needs indicator for veterans (CNIV) in the UK.

Introduction: The veteran population in the UK has been decreasing, however, there remains a proportion of veterans and their families who continue to experience multiple and complex health, financial, and social needs. The complex problems tend to exacerbate each other and deepen over time if appropriate support is not provided. Identifying the veterans with complex needs is crucial for effective support by military charities and health and social care services.

Exploring the Role of Social Connection in Interventions With Military Veterans Diagnosed With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Systematic Narrative Review.

Background: It has been identified that military veterans have distinct experiences of loneliness and social isolation and, when comparing this community to other client groups with a PTSD diagnosis, veterans respond less favorably to treatment. However, the link between PTSD and loneliness for veterans remains insufficiently researched and it is unclear if there are effective interventions tackling this distinct experience of loneliness.

Aims: This systematic narrative review aimed to synthesize existing evidence incorporating elements of social connection, social isolation, and loneliness within interventions for military veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD, consequently aiming to examine the impact of such interventions upon this community.

A Stage 1 Pilot Cohort Exploring the Use of EMDR Therapy as a Videoconference Psychotherapy During COVID-19 With Frontline Mental Health Workers: A Proof of Concept Study Utilising a Virtual Blind 2 Therapist Protocol.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the delivery of psychological treatment. Due to social distancing requirements, the provision moved to videoconferencing psychotherapy (VCP). There is a paucity of empirical data supporting the efficacy of EMDR therapy as a VCP.

Bereaved UK military families: A mixed methods study on the provision of practical and emotional support.

Traumatic deaths of military personnel can have tragic consequences for the lives and health of bereaved significant others. To mitigate the effects, the UK Armed Forces enhanced the support for bereaved military families. However, little is known about whether the support has been satisfactory.

Developing an Integrated Model of Care for Veterans with Alcohol Problems.

Introduction: Veterans often do not present with alcohol problems in isolation, they may have a wide range of social, physical, and psychological needs. The aim of this study was to facilitate the development of a co-designed integrated model of care for veterans with alcohol problems.

Methods: Following the development model by the Agency for Clinical Innovation, a planning symposium was held in North East of England to engage health and social care planners, public health leads, clinical commissioning groups and providers.

The Map of Need: identifying and predicting the spatial distribution of financial hardship in Scotland's veteran community.

Introduction: During military service, many household costs for both married and single service personnel are subsidised, and transition can leave veterans unprepared for the financial demands of civilian life. Armed Forces organisations such as Sailor, Soldier, Air Force Association (SSAFA) play a central role in understanding the financial challenges that UK veterans face and provide an insight into the financial hardship experienced by veterans. The aim of this study was to use SSAFA beneficiary data as a proxy to identify the nature of financial benefit, the spatial distribution of financial hardship in the Scottish SSAFA beneficiary community and explore factors that might predict where those recipients are located.

The exploration of the dispersal of British military families in England following the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010.

Strictly relying on publicly available data, this study depicts and quantifies the spatial pattern of England's military families with dependent children. England's Service Pupil Premium for the financial years between 2011 and 2019 is used as a proxy variable to estimate the density of service children at the parliamentary constituency level. Methodologically, the approach allows an assessment of spatial movements of a population or a cohort.

Housing Needs of Ageing Veterans Who Have Experienced Limb Loss.

Military veterans can experience limb loss as a direct result of conflict, an accident, illness or injury. Whatever the cause, there is a need to recognise the long-term consequences and challenges of limb loss on maintaining independence in one's home. This study aimed to examine the housing needs of veterans experiencing limb loss, and the impact of limb loss on housing needs and home adaptations of ageing military veterans.

Rehabilitation and transition in military veterans after limb-loss.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the physical, psychological and social wellbeing of veterans who have experienced limb-loss and to ascertain the factors that contribute to the ability of veterans to maintain their independence at various stages in their lives.

Methods: Sixty two life-story interviews were conducted with 32 veterans (aged between 40 and 95) who had experienced limb-loss either during or after military service.

Results: Three overarching superordinate themes and related sub-themes were generated from a detailed Framework Analysis " describes issues related to employment, legal support and compensation, stigma and loss of identity.

Utilisation of the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant in NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups across England: a freedom of information investigation.

Objectives: To determine the extent to which National Health Service (NHS) service providers appoint a named Armed Forces veteran lead or champion, and to explore the commissioning of veteran-specific services by Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Design: A convergent mixed method design was used to improve understanding obtained from the information provided by respondents on their practice. The study comprised two parts: phase 1 involved NHS Trusts, and phase 2 involved Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Resisting decline? Narratives of independence among aging limbless veterans.

'Maintaining independence' is a core project for many older people; a project which has received critical attention within aging studies. In this paper, we extend the critique by exploring how aging intersects with disability and militarism as additional critical subjectivities. The empirical focus of the paper is the narratives of older military veterans who had lost a limb either during or post-service.

The Use of Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy in Treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder-A Systematic Narrative Review.

There is an extensive body of research examining the efficacy of Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This systematic narrative review aimed to systematically, and narratively, review robust evidence from Randomized-Controlled Trials examining the efficacy of EMDR therapy. Eight databases were searched to identify studies relevant to the study aim.

Are veterans different? Understanding veterans' help-seeking behaviour for alcohol problems.

Alcohol misuse in the United Kingdom's veteran community is not an isolated phenomenon. Internationally, alcohol and wider substance misuse would appear to be an historic and current global issue within veteran communities. Although research has been undertaken both in the United Kingdom and the United States into why veterans are reluctant to seek help for mental health problems, little is understood as to why veterans encounter difficulties in engaging with treatment for alcohol misuse.

Identifying pre-hospital factors associated with outcome for major trauma patients in a regional trauma network: an exploratory study.

Background: Major trauma is often life threatening and the leading cause of death in the United Kingdom (UK) for adults aged less than 45 years old. This study aimed to identify pre-hospital factors associated with patient outcomes for major trauma within one Regional Trauma Network.

Method: Secondary analysis of pre-hospital audit data and patient outcome data from the Trauma Audit Research Network (TARN) was undertaken.

Understanding why veterans are reluctant to access help for alcohol problems: Considerations for nurse education.

Background: To effectively engage veterans with substance misuse services, nurses need to understand their unique needs and the potential barriers that prevent them from accessing care. Nurses need to have an understanding and awareness of the cultural sensitivities associated with having been a member of the armed forces.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived barriers to care amongst those planning, commissioning and delivering services for veterans with substance misuse problems, and to identify and explore subject areas which nurse educators should consider for inclusion in nursing and health education programmes.

Why do they fail? A qualitative follow up study of 1000 recruits to the British Army Infantry to understand high levels of attrition.

Background: The British Army has over 100 career employment groups to which recruits may apply. The Infantry is one of these career employment groups; it accounts for 25% of the overall strength. It is of concern that Infantry recruit attrition within the first 12 weeks of training remains consistently above 30% .

The juggling act: Do student nurses who care for dependants need an adapted course? An applied policy research study.

Background: In line with many countries worldwide, the Department of Health mandate to Health Education England seeks to promote the diversity of applicants by widening participation in nurse education. A number of studies have explored the experience of non-traditional students undertaking nursing courses.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore and understand the experiences of student nurses undertaking their nurse education whilst caring for dependant family.

Role of the military community mental health nurse.

Aim: To understand the role and effect of a community mental health nurse (CMHN) deployed to work with military personnel during sea-based operations.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to ascertain Royal Navy aircraft carrier military unit commanders' perceptions and experiences of the CMHN's role.

Findings: Three mutually inclusive components are necessary to ensure successful integration of the CMHN: familiarity, trust and credibility.