Suchergebnisse

Background Research suggests that ex-military personnel are at high risk of developing mental health disorders such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and have been found to underuse mental health services. Research has used quantitative methods focused on barriers to accessing services, with less emphasis on factors that enable veterans to seek support. Objective The aim of this qualitative research study was to explore the experiences of veterans who seek treatment and how they define their experience of 'recovery'. Methods Nine male veterans who had completed a six-week Intensive Treatment Programme at Combat Stress participated in the study. Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews and was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results Four key themes emerged: (1) discovering PTSD: 'breaking the silence', 'experiences of diagnosis' and 'normalisation and containment', (2) engaging with PTSD: 'preconceptions and the challenges of military identity' and 'accepting PTSD', (3) a road to recovery: 'a shared experience of PTSD', 'finding me again' and 'adjusting to civvy street' and (4) maintaining and rebuilding: 'owning your PTSD', 'tackling PTSD in everyday life' and 'managing social relationships'. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of treatment, an Multi-Disciplinary Team approach and of psychological input for veterans with PTSD. In addition, the experience of being treated within a cohort, provides a familiar framework of treatment to veterans and which had a therapeutic effect in their recovery journey.

Background: Veterans with PTSD typically report a poorer treatment response than those who have not served in the Armed Forces. A possible explanation is that veterans often present with complex symptoms of PTSD. ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) has not previously been explored in a military sample.Aim: This study aimed to validate the only measure of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD, the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), and assess the rates of the disorder in a sample of treatment-seeking UK veterans.Method: A sample of help-seeking veterans (n=177) was recruited from a national charity in the UK that provides clinical services to veterans. Participants completed measures of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD as well as childhood and adult traumatic life events. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the latent structure of PTSD and CPTSD symptoms, and rates of the disorders were estimated.Results: The majority of the participants (70.7%) reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of either PTSD or CPTSD. Results indicated presence of two separate disorders, with CPTSD being more frequently endorsed (56.7%) than PTSD (14.0%). CPTSD was more strongly associated with childhood trauma than PTSD.Conclusions: ITQ can adequately distinguish between PTSD and CPTSD within clinical samples of veterans. There is a need to explore the effectiveness of existing and new treatments for CPTSD in military personnel.