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The British Journal of Psychiatry (2005) 186: 476-479
© 2005 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Acute military psychiatric casualties from the war in Iraq

MARK A. TURNER, MRCP, MRCPsych, MA, MSc, MPhil

Department of Community Mental Health, Duchess of Kent's Barracks, Catterick Barracks, Catterick Garrison

MATHEW D. KIERNAN, BMedSci, RMN, RGN, DPNS

Royal DPNS, Royal Hospital Haslar, Gosport

ANDREW G. McKECHANIE, MB ChB

Herdmanflat Hospital, Haddington

PETER J.C. FINCH, MRCPsych, RAMC

Department of Community Mental Health, Duchess of Kent's Barracks, Catterick Garrison

FRANK B. McMANUS, FRCPsych, RAF

Department of Community Mental Health, Venning Barracks, Donnington

LEIGH A. NEAL, MRCPsych, MRCGP, DRCOG, MD

Bristol Priory Hospital, Stapleton, Bristol, UK

Correspondence: Dr Mark Turner, c/o Department of Community Mental Health, Duchess of Kent's Barracks, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire DL9 4DF, UK. Tel/fax: +44 (0) 1748 829644; e-mail: mturner20{at}compuserve.com

Declaration of interest None.

Background The view that most military personnel evacuated from war zones are suffering from combat stress reactions, or are otherwise traumatised by the horrors of war, has an impact on all aspects of military psychiatry.

Aims To delineate the reasons for psychiatric aeromedical evacuation from Iraq from the start of build-up of UK forces in January 2003 until the end of October that year, 6 months after the end of formal hostilities.

Method A retrospective study was conducted of field and in-patient psychiatric assessments of 116 military personnel evacuated to the UK military psychiatric in-patient facility in Catterick Garrison.

Results Evacuees were mainly non-combatants (69%). A significant proportion were in reserve service (21%) and had a history of contact with mental health services (37%). Only 3% had a combat stress reaction. In over 85% of cases evacuation was for low mood attributed to separation from friends or family, or difficulties adjusting to the environment.

Conclusions These findings have implications especially for screening for suitability for deployment, and for understanding any longer-term mental health problems arising in veterans from Iraq.




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Acute military psychiatric casualties from the war in Iraq
Christopher T Barker
BJP Online, 15 Jul 2005 [Full text]