Mental health care provision in the U.K. armed forces

Like the United States, the United Kingdom (U.K.) population expresses ongoing interest in the mental health of their nation's armed forces and veterans. Current U.K. military mental health research efforts center on the work of military and civilian academics based at King's College London. These academics work closely with NATO partners, in particular the United States, in planning for future research. Conscious of the cultural dimensions to mental health among military personnel, considerable efforts have been made to strengthen informal support mechanisms including the training of lay Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) practitioners and other welfare services. Formal healthcare support provision comes from primary care providers and Departments of Community Mental Health, which provide local case management and appropriate escalation to in-patient services where required. Although veteran's healthcare is provided by the National Health Service, considerable efforts have been made to ensure their services best meet the needs of veterans and their families.