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Occupational Medicine Advance Access originally published online on August 10, 2009
Occupational Medicine 2009 59(7):459-465; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqp115
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Occupational outcomes in soldiers hospitalized with mental health problems

Norman Jones1, Nicola T. Fear1, Neil Greenberg1, Lisa Hull2 and Simon Wessely2

1 Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 9RJ, UK
2 King's Centre for Military Health Research, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 9RJ, UK

Background Little is known about the longer term occupational outcome in UK military personnel who require hospital-based treatment for mental health problems.

Aims To examine the documented occupational outcomes following hospital-based treatment for mental health problems within the British Army.

Methods Hospital admission records were linked to occupational outcome data from a database used for personnel administration.

Results A total of 384 records were identified that were then linked to occupational outcome after an episode of hospitalization. Seventy-four per cent of those admitted to hospital with mental health problems were discharged from the Army prematurely, and 73% of the discharges occurred in the first year following hospitalization. Discharge from the Army was associated with holding a junior rank, completing <5 years military service, having a combat role, being male and receiving community mental health team treatment prior to admission.

Conclusions Hospitalization for a mental health problem in a military context is associated with a low rate of retention in service. Outcome was not influenced greatly by duration of hospital stay; however, those who reported receiving individual rather than group-based therapy while in hospital appeared to do better.

Keywords      Armed Forces; hospitalization; mental health; occupational outcomes; soldiers; United Kingdom

Correspondence to: Norman Jones, Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Weston Education Centre, 10 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 5428; fax: +44 (0)20 7848 5397; e-mail: norman.jones{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk


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