Postdeployment Battlemind Training for the U.K. Armed Forces: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Autor/inn/en	Mulligan, Kathleen; Fear, Nicola T.; Jones, Norman; Alvarez, Helen; Hull, Lisa; Naumann, Ulrike; Wessely, Simon; Greenberg, Neil
Titel	Postdeployment Battlemind Training for the U.K. Armed Forces: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Quelle	In: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80 (2012) 3, S.331-341 (11 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-006X
DOI	10.1037/a0027664
Schlagwörter	Intervention; Mental Health; Armed Forces; Drinking; Identification; Mental Disorders; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Foreign Countries; Military Personnel; Psychoeducational Methods; Outcomes of Treatment; Questionnaires; Check Lists; Measures (Individuals); Alcohol Abuse; United Kingdom + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Psychohygiene; Military; Militär; Trinken; Identifikation; Identifizierung; Mental illness; Geisteskrankheit; Ausland; Fragebogen; Checkliste; Messdaten; Großbritannien
Abstract	Objective: Combat exposure can increase the risk of subsequent psychological ill-health in armed forces (AF) personnel. A U.S. postdeployment psycho-educational intervention, Battlemind, showed a beneficial effect on mental health in U.S. military personnel exposed to high combat levels. We evaluated the effectiveness of an anglicized version of postdeployment Battlemind. Method: Battlemind was adapted for the United Kingdom. The main amendments were to sections about carrying weapons, driving, and alcohol misuse. The anglicized Battlemind was compared with the U.K. standard postdeployment brief in a cluster randomized controlled trial. At baseline, 2,443 U.K. AF personnel returning from Afghanistan via Cyprus completed questionnaires about their combat experiences and mental health. Of these, 1,616 (66%) completed 6-month follow-up questionnaires. We used the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-C) to measure probable posttraumatic stress disorder and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to measure common mental disorders. Secondary outcomes included alcohol misuse, assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and binge drinking. Mixed-effects models were used to account for possible cluster effects. Results: We did not find a difference in mental health or overall AUDIT score. Those who received Battlemind versus the standard brief were less likely to report binge drinking, although the effect size was small (adjusted odds ratio = 0.73, 95% CI [0.58, 0.92]). Conclusions: The anglicized Battlemind did not improve mental health but had a modest impact on the reporting of binge drinking. Alcohol misuse is problematic in military populations; therefore, an intervention that reduces binge drinking may be helpful. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10