Help-seeking behaviours: similar findings in young military veterans
Dear Editor,
The recent article investigating help-seeking behaviours in young
males(1) leaving prison highlights key areas in which government services
need to adapt to better tackle the issues associated with vulnerable
adults. A study undertaken by the King’s Centre for Military Health
Research had similar findings.
The study investigated the help-seeking paths of young men (n=74)
leaving Colchester Military Corrective Training Centre, colloquially know
as the "military prison". This study found that young veterans found it
difficult to access available resettlement services for a variety of
reasons including: previous bad experiences with other services’, lack of
knowledge of what services were available and feelings that these services
would not be able to help. Additionally, this group had high levels of
mental ill health, both pre-discharge (n=61, 82%) and six months after
leaving (n=39, 53%). Similar to the findings of Howerton et al.(1), only
a small minority of those with mental health problems were seeking help
for these problems and most preferred to use informal networks of support
e.g. friends and family. Six months after leaving, only one participant
with a mental health problem reported seeking help for it.
Previous research has highlighted the need for early interventions
among recently released prison populations, with 21% of suicides occurring
in the first 28 days after release.(2) This is especially concerning as
within the UK Armed Forces young Army males (under 20 years of age) have
more suicides than expected when compared to the equivalent UK general
population.(3) This concurs with Howerton et al.'s recommendation of
service provision within prisons before release in order to create
positive help-seeking experiences.(1)
We therefore agree with the conclusions of Howerton et al.(1) that
services need to be better targeted in order to address the needs of these
more vulnerable groups. However, we would further suggest, based on our
research within the UK Armed Forces that services based on less formal
support networks (e.g. mentoring) may provide a more successful way to
integrate vulnerable groups into resettlement services. Within our study
population, 82% (n=61) said that they would have found a mentor useful in
their transition from military prison into civilian life. This structure
could provide “an informal relationship delivered in a formal structure”
and so better mimic the chosen support networks of this vulnerable group.
1 Howerton A, Byng R, Campbell J, Hess D, Owens C, Aitken P
Understanding help seeking behavior among male offenders: qualitative
interview study. BMJ 334: 303
2 Pratt D, Piper M, Appleby L, Webb R, Shaw J. (2006) Suicide in
Recently released prisoners: A population-based study cohort. Lancet 368:
199-23
Rapid Response:
Help-seeking behaviours: similar findings in young military veterans
Dear Editor,
The recent article investigating help-seeking behaviours in young
males(1) leaving prison highlights key areas in which government services
need to adapt to better tackle the issues associated with vulnerable
adults. A study undertaken by the King’s Centre for Military Health
Research had similar findings.
The study investigated the help-seeking paths of young men (n=74)
leaving Colchester Military Corrective Training Centre, colloquially know
as the "military prison". This study found that young veterans found it
difficult to access available resettlement services for a variety of
reasons including: previous bad experiences with other services’, lack of
knowledge of what services were available and feelings that these services
would not be able to help. Additionally, this group had high levels of
mental ill health, both pre-discharge (n=61, 82%) and six months after
leaving (n=39, 53%). Similar to the findings of Howerton et al.(1), only
a small minority of those with mental health problems were seeking help
for these problems and most preferred to use informal networks of support
e.g. friends and family. Six months after leaving, only one participant
with a mental health problem reported seeking help for it.
Previous research has highlighted the need for early interventions
among recently released prison populations, with 21% of suicides occurring
in the first 28 days after release.(2) This is especially concerning as
within the UK Armed Forces young Army males (under 20 years of age) have
more suicides than expected when compared to the equivalent UK general
population.(3) This concurs with Howerton et al.'s recommendation of
service provision within prisons before release in order to create
positive help-seeking experiences.(1)
We therefore agree with the conclusions of Howerton et al.(1) that
services need to be better targeted in order to address the needs of these
more vulnerable groups. However, we would further suggest, based on our
research within the UK Armed Forces that services based on less formal
support networks (e.g. mentoring) may provide a more successful way to
integrate vulnerable groups into resettlement services. Within our study
population, 82% (n=61) said that they would have found a mentor useful in
their transition from military prison into civilian life. This structure
could provide “an informal relationship delivered in a formal structure”
and so better mimic the chosen support networks of this vulnerable group.
1 Howerton A, Byng R, Campbell J, Hess D, Owens C, Aitken P
Understanding help seeking behavior among male offenders: qualitative
interview study. BMJ 334: 303
2 Pratt D, Piper M, Appleby L, Webb R, Shaw J. (2006) Suicide in
Recently released prisoners: A population-based study cohort. Lancet 368:
199-23
3 DASA Open deaths and suicides in the UK Regular Armed Forces 1984 -
2005. http://www.dasa.mod.uk/publications/pdfs/suicide/suicideMar06.pdf
(accessed 12/02/07)
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests