Guide on way to help veterans with mental health problems

Life Force, which has been written in conjunction with the Scottish Association for Mental Health, will be launched in a conference at the KC Stadium, with guest speakers from Defence Mental Health, the King's Centre for Military Research, the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and the Army Families' Federation.

Paid for by NHS Hull, one thousand copies of the 46-page guide have been published and will be given to a range of people and organisations including doctors, employers, voluntary services and housing services with the aim of improving their understanding of veterans and their needs.

Lt Col Peter McAllister, a consultant advisor in psychiatry for the Ministry of Defence , will be one of the speakers.

He said: "For the vast majority of people who spend time in the military it's a really positive and useful experience, but some people have a bad time.

"There's some evidence to suggest there's a group that's not terribly good at coming forward and they are not getting the help that fits their needs.

"Some of it's got to do with accessing help and speaking to someone who understands where you've been and what you've done. There's still a certain stigma associated with mental health problems. It's getting better but it's a slow process.

"Our grandfathers' generation didn't talk about feelings, it didn't happen, and certainly whenever soldiers have gone away to any operation some of them will have picked up psychological problems from that.

"The good news is because of things like Life Force they know where to come for help and don't need to suffer in silence."

The conference has been organised by NHS Hull and Humber Traumatic Stress Service (HTSS), which was launched 12 years ago and has achieved national recognition for its work with combat veterans.

Rebecca Brown, a specialist nurse at HTSS, said: "Life Force is for any organisation that may come into contact with veterans and their families, and serving personnel like reserves and the TA (Territorial Army).

"It provides questions to help you get information from veterans so you can help them as best you can, and what other agencies you can utilise and signpost.

"The recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq mean there are more veterans with a variety of different needs. They could be physical needs, such as amputees or people who have suffered psychological trauma, people that have left the service and their relationship has broken down.

"It's about tying these things together so if you get a veteran or their family you can know where you can best access support across a range of agencies."

Staff at the pioneering HTSS have been part of an expert group advising on the establishment of pilot sites around the UK for the Community Veterans' Project.

In 2008, a local steering group was established to ensure issues relating to veterans remained high on the agenda in Hull and the East Riding.

This group meets quarterly and includes representatives from the MoD, prison service, NHS services, local authorities and veteran charities.

In October 2007, NHS Hull chief executive Chris Long announced priority services for combat veterans whether or not they were receiving a war pension.

This has been taken up nationally as an example of best practice and other trusts are being asked to offer the same. Mr Long received recognition for this work when he was awarded a Military and Civilian Partnership award in October 2008.

In 2009 the service linked up with the Scottish Association of Mental Health to produce the Life Force guide. Anyone with concerns about mental health issues can call (01482) 335000.