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Influence of employment characteristics on seeking help for mental health conditions in the UK Defence Medical Services
  1. Toby James Holland1,
  2. A Simms2,
  3. D Lamb3 and
  4. K King1
  1. 1Academic Department of Military General Practice, Research and Clinical Innnovation, Defence Medical Directorate, HQ Surgeon General, Birmingham, UK
  2. 2Academic Department of Military Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK
  3. 3Academic Department of Military Nursing, Research and Clinical Innovation, Defence Medical Directorate, HQ Surgeon General, Birmingham, UK
  1. Correspondence to Toby James Holland, Academic Department of Military General Practice, Research and Clinical Innovation, Defence Medical Directorate, HQ Surgeon General, Birmingham, UK; tobyjholland{at}me.com

https://doi.org/10.1136/military-2023-002570

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    The Defence Medical Services (DMS) Check study surveyed DMS personnel between 21 October 2021 and 22 February 2022.1 It found that the prevalence of probable common mental health disorders (CMDs) in the survey population was 43.6%, using the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire. It also found that only 30.4% of those with probable CMDs had sought any form of help, and of these, a greater proportion sought mental health support from the private sector rather than through the Defence mental health services. Table 1 compares these findings to a similar study in the NHS.2 A study investigating help-seeking in a general military and veteran cohort reporting a stress, emotional or mental health problem demonstrated that 92.8% …

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @DrKate_King

    • Contributors TJH devised the concept for the article and drafted the initial manuscript. AS, DL and KK re-drafted, edited and prepared for publication.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.