title: Effects of home on the mental health of British forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most studies of the mental health of UK armed forces focus on retrospective accounts of deployment and few sample personnel while they are deployed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study reports the results of a survey of deployed personnel, examining the perceived impact of events at home and military support for the family on current mental health during the deployment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were conducted with 2042 British forces personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prevalence of common mental disorders was assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was assessed with the PTSD Checklist - Civilian version (PCL-C).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of common mental disorders was 17.8% and of probable PTSD was 2.8%. Perceived home difficulties significantly influenced the mental health of deployed personnel; the greater the perception of negative events in the home environment, the greater the reporting of adverse mental health effects. This finding was independent of combat exposure and was only partially mitigated by being well led and reporting subjectively good unit cohesion; however, the effect of the totality of home-front events was not improved by the latter. Poor perceived military support for the family had a detrimental impact on deployment mental health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The armed forces offer many support services to the partners and families of deployed personnel and ensuring that the efforts being made on their behalf are well communicated might improve the mental health of deployed personnel.
authors.affiliation: Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, King's College London, Weston Education Centre, 10 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mulligan
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.forename: Nicola T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Fear
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wessely
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005378:Financial Support; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D015995:Prevalence; D012944:Social Support; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology