Jones N, Fear NT, Wessely S, Thandi G, Greenberg N. Eur. Psychiatry 2016; 39: 66-72.
Affiliation
Academic Department of Military Mental Health, Academic Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, United Kingdom.
BACKGROUND: This observational study examined return to duty (RTD) rates following receipt of early mental health interventions delivered by deployed mental health practitioners.
METHOD: In-depth clinical interviews were conducted among 975 UK military personnel referred for mental health assessment whilst deployed in Afghanistan. Socio-demographic, military, operational, clinical and therapy outcomes were recorded in an electronic health record database. Rates and predictors of EVAC were the main outcomes examined using adjusted binary logistic regression analyses.
RESULTS: Overall 74.8% (n=729) of personnel RTD on completion of care. Of those that underwent evacuation home (n=246), 69.1% (n=170) returned by aeromedical evacuation; the remainder returned home using routine air transport. Predictors of evacuation included; inability to adjust to the operational environment, family psychiatric history, previously experiencing trauma and thinking about or carrying out acts of deliberate self-harm.
CONCLUSION: Deployed mental health practitioners helped to facilitate RTD for three quarters of mental health casualties who consulted with them during deployment; psychological rather than combat-related factors predicted evacuation home.