Mental health problems are prevalent worldwide in serving military members and Veterans. Understanding the extent of the issue helps support the design, delivery and monitoring of effective mental health policies, programs and services.

What is this Research About?

This research examines the extent of mental health problems among Canadian Armed Forces Veterans. By combining survey data on three measures of mental health, the researchers were able to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the situation as it also includes Veterans with undiagnosed mental health problems  - not just those Veterans with diagnosed conditions.

What did the Researchers Do?

The researchers developed a new approach for measuring mental health by combining three separate measures - self-reported diagnosed mental conditions, a psychological distress measure and a post-traumatic stress disorder screening tool. This approach gave the researchers a measure of mental health problems among Veterans to describe severity and likelihood of needing assistance. 

What did the Researchers Find?

• The composite measure provided a broader picture of mental health in the Canadian Veteran population than was previously available using single measures
• The prevalence of mental health problems was larger using the composite measure than prior estimates using individual measures
• More than a third (38.7%) of CAF  Veterans reported a mental health problem:
  • 22.3% reported a mild-moderate mental  problem
  • 16.4%  report a severe mental health problem
  • Based on the composite measure, Veterans with mental health problem were also more likely to report:
  • a difficult adjustment to civilian life
  • poor self-rated mental health
  • the presence of three or more physical health conditions
  • chronic pain
  • often having activity restriction
  • life stress
  • low social support
  • suicidal ideation
• Veterans who reported a difficult transition to civilian life were concentrated in the severe mental health problem category. This points to a need for strong mental health and well-being services during that period.

Source

Thompson JM, VanTil LD, Zamorski MA, Fikretoglu D, Dursun S, Sweet J, Garber B, Richardson JD, Sareen J, Courchesne CE, Pedlar D. Composite Measure of Mental Health Problems in Canadian Armed Forces Veterans – 2013 Life After Service Survey. Charlottetown (PE): Veterans Affairs Canada Research Directorate, Technical Report: May 15, 2017.

http://publications.gc.ca/pub?id=9.857336&sl=0