military trauma

Question 1

What is the KCMHR Cohort Study and its timeline?

Answer 1

A large longitudinal study tracking UK military personnel mental health across 4 phases:⁠
⁠​
Phase 1 (2004-2006): Operation Telic (Iraq), N=10,272
Phase 2 (2007-2009): Operation Herrick (Afghanistan), N=9,990
Phase 3 (2014-2016): N=8,093
Phase 4 (2022-2023): N=4,104

Question 2

What are the main mental health outcomes from Phase 4 of KCMHR Cohort Study?

Answer 2

33.1% reported mental health or alcohol misuse, while 66.9% reported no issues

Question 3

How have mental health conditions changed over time?

Answer 3

PTSD increased from 4% (2004) to 10% (2023)⁠
⁠​
Common Mental Disorders rose from 20% to 28%⁠
⁠​
Alcohol misuse declined from 15% to 8%

Question 4

What are the key differences between serving and ex-serving personnel?

Answer 4

Ex-serving personnel show higher rates of:
CMD: 27.9% vs 7.4% (serving)
PTSD: 10.5% vs 3.9% (serving)

Question 5

What is moral injury?

Answer 5

Acts that transgress moral beliefs, including commission, omission, and betrayal⁠
⁠. Core features include:
Emotions: Shame, guilt, anger
Cognitive effects: Loss of identity, trust, meaning

Question 6

How does PTSD differ from moral injury?

Answer 6

Key differences:
PTSD trigger: Life-threatening event; Moral Injury trigger: Moral code violation
PTSD role: Victim/Witness; Moral Injury role: Often perpetrator
PTSD emotions: Fear, horror; Moral Injury emotions: Shame, guilt
PTSD consequences: Safety loss; Moral Injury consequences: Trust loss

Question 7

What are the specific challenges faced by female veterans?

Answer 7

Higher exposure to service-related adversity (sexual harassment - 22.5% PTSD, assault, bullying)
Worse health outcomes than male veterans (higher PTSD, anxiety, depression)
Increased loneliness and low support