NEWS – MENTAL HEALTH HELP FOR ARMED FORCES' VETERANS
Measuring Outcomes for Delivery of Therapy to Veterans
First published in the QNVMHS Newsletter
There are four features of the charity PTSD Resolution’s service delivery that particularly distinguish the mental health treatment it delivers to the UK armed forces veterans’ community.
The trauma therapy service includes:
- veterans who are suffering from alcohol or substance addiction
- those who are in the criminal justice system
- family members, where their mental health has been affected; and
- the rigorous collection of clinical outcome measurement data
Other Stories
Ex-RAF Matt Harper on how his PTSD Resolution therapist, Des, helped him to overcome longstanding mental health issues in just 5 sessions.
Giving Something Back: A Veteran's Reward - Pennant Magazine
PTSD and mental health are today's big issues, brought into sharp focus by the pandemic as the population has been exposed to unprecedented stress, anxiety and isolation. These experiences, however, were not new for many UK Veterans, Reservists and their families. PTSD – or post-traumatic stress disorder – is the term for a cluster of symptoms, psychological and physical, that may be exhibited by someone adversely affected by a powerful emotional event – a trauma.
This trauma is often associated with a threat to life, or extreme danger to themselves or others. PTSD symptoms include substance addiction, nightmares, anger and violence, which can lead to job loss, family breakdown and even suicide.
Our thanks to Pennant Magazine, The Journal of the Forces Pension Society.
Armed Forces Covenant After 10 Years:
Initiative For Employees Mental Health
On the tenth anniversary of the Armed Forces Covenant in November 2021, the armed forces' charity PTSD Resolution is highlighting opportunities for organisations to support veterans and meet Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments. PTSD Resolution has helped a number of companies to attain awards under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).
With the Armed Forces Act 2011 ten years ago, the nation confirmed a commitment to the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force, as well as the families of those who have served. The Covenant was founded on two fundamental tenets.
Remembrance Day 2021:
Memorial Wall for Forces' Dead with No Marked Grave
In the annual commemoration of Remembrance Day, the armed forces’ mental health charity PTSD Resolution invites relatives of veterans of the UK services who died without a known grave to post details to the online Memorial Wall.
Colonel Tony Gauvain (Retired), chairman of PTSD Resolution, whose father was killed in action in Singapore in 1942, says:
“The memorial wall serves as a tribute to those in the British and Commonwealth armed forces, who were killed in action and reported as missing presumed dead - some 33,000 individuals in world war two - and who do not have any gravestone by which to honour their memory.
What Fireworks Mean for a UK Veteran
This Bonfire Night PTSD Resolution offers a gentle reminder - fireworks aren't fun for everybody.
Fireworks aren't a harmless way to celebrate for Veterans suffering from PTSD - instead they can trigger a traumatic reaction.
On Remembrance Day, 11th November, we will pause and pay tribute to our Service men and women, so, why not - in the days before - spare a thought for Veterans like Jason Haynes.
A UK Veteran's Story: Nemo's Therapy with PTSD Resolution
When the forces' veteran came to see me for the first therapy session, he was so nervous, he sat down and took a pack of playing cards out of his pocket and sat shuffling and fanning them throughout that first session, never once giving me eye contact. Nemo reported his life was a mess with so many awful things currently happening that he just could not cope with it anymore. Most of his days were spent in bed trying to sleep and block the world out.
Jonathan Thomson’s Diary of his Epic 2021 Pyrenees Cycle Journey
In September 2021 Jonathan Thomson completed an epic fundraising event, cycling from Argelès-sur-Mer in France on the 13th September, on what he planned to be a journey of eight days, weather and other conditions permitting, covering 1,000km and involving at least 40,000ft of hill climbs.
How To Reduce Suicide Risk: One-Day on-line Workshop, 30th September 2021
Malcolm Hanson, a Trustee of the Forces’ Veterans’ charity PTSD Resolution, will present a one-day online course entitled ‘How to reduce suicide risk - the practical steps you need to know’, on Thursday 30th September.
Human Givens Institute therapist Malcolm Hanson will explain how to work effectively with people who may be contemplating suicide, or who have survived a past attempt. The event is intended for charity and other staff who engage with veterans who may be at risk of suicide - this includes mental health and wellbeing professionals, pastoral care and outreach workers.
UK Veterans Charity Initiative for Mental Health Therapy Support
Veterans’ mental health charity PTSD Resolution and peer-to-peer veterans network Phoenix Heroes have launched a service to support former forces personnel following the completion of mental health therapy.
