Occupational outcomes in soldiers hospitalized with mental health problems.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the longer term occupational outcome in UK military personnel who require hospital-based treatment for mental health problems.


OBJECTIVE
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.
Jones
Norman
N
Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 9RJ, UK. norman.jones@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Fear
Nicola T
NT
Greenberg
Neil
N
Hull
Lisa
L
Wessely
Simon
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult