Military veterans’ experiences of NHS mental health services

A significant minority of veterans have poor mental health outcomes but their needs are not always well managed by the NHS. The purpose of this paper is to explore veterans’ experiences of NHS mental healthcare in Norfolk and Suffolk to identify ways of improving services.

Interviews were conducted with 30 veterans. Template analysis was undertaken to explore key themes in the interview transcripts.

Participants were reluctant to seek help but were more likely to engage with a veteran-specific service. Those whose symptoms were military related reported better experiences when accessing treatment that was military sensitive.

This was a local study and the findings do not necessarily reflect the views of the wider veteran community. Most participants who received military sensitive treatment were referred to the study by NHS providers, which could account for their positive feedback.

The development of dedicated mental health services may encourage more veterans to seek support, helping to improve patient outcomes. There is a need for further research to determine the effectiveness of dedicated services and identify how they should be deployed.

Where academic interest has generally centred on the aetiology of mental health conditions within the military, this study focussed upon service user experience. The findings contributed to NHS England’s recent decision to extend its network of dedicated services in 12 areas of the country to cover veterans across England from April 2017.