Tailored Therapy Helps UK Veterans Recover from Mental Health Disorders

Tailored Therapy Helps UK Veterans Recover from Mental Health Disorders and Delivers Strong Value for Money — New Think Tank Report

A new report highlights the impact and economic value of PTSD Resolution's veteran-specific therapy, which provides accessible, evidence-based mental health support for UK veterans. The programme has helped over 5,000 veterans recover from anxiety, depression, and psychological distress, particularly those affected by service-related conditions such as PTSD.

The service model achieves notably higher client retention rates than comparable services, which results in more people getting better.

While most veterans adjust to civilian life smoothly, some face significant challenges including isolation, loss of purpose, and long-term physical or psychological injuries. These factors contribute to persistent mental health conditions, which carry serious personal and social costs. Veterans can face barriers to accessing care, including long NHS waiting lists, strict referral criteria, and stigma around seeking help. There may be a perception that standard services do not adequately understand the military experience.

PTSD Resolution overcomes these barriers through a network of over 200 accredited Human Givens therapists who are experienced in working with veterans and understand the military mind, resulting in high client retention rates. The programme of tailored therapy is accessed directly by the veteran or is referred through a network of partners across the four nations. Unlike some conventional services, PTSD Resolution imposes no strict acceptance criteria, enabling support for veterans who might otherwise be excluded from mainstream mental health services.

The study, conducted by think tank PBE, measured the positive impact of the therapy over a one-year period. It found that veterans on the programme showed clear improvements in mental health during treatment, with these gains largely sustained throughout the following year.

However, the analysis is intentionally conservative in two key respects. It includes only veterans who achieved reliable recovery—those moving below clinical thresholds—while excluding those who made significant improvements but remained just above them. It also limits benefits to the one-year post-treatment period, even though, as PBE notes, "many clients will experience long-term improvements in functioning and quality of life," and "evaluations based on short-term outcomes are therefore likely to underestimate the true lifetime benefits."

Under even the most conservative assumptions, PBE's rigorous analysis, using His Majesty's Treasury–recommended techniques, shows that the benefits of the programme outweigh its costs, with every £1 invested generating between £1.50 and £3.40 in economic benefits during the 12 months following therapy.

"PTSD Resolution has changed my life. Writing this, I am almost in tears because the weight has finally been lifted! I am free from flashbacks, I have reconciled with my parents and I'm getting on great with my wife and children. Huge thanks to everyone at PTSD Resolution. You have saved my life, never forget that!"Veteran SW, Service in Iraq

"We thank PBE for the excellent analysis. While it focuses on quantifiable one-year outcomes only, we know there is considerable longer-term value that is delivered too by individual transformation - improved personal functioning, restored sense of purpose, enhanced family relationships, and potential career re-engagement.

"Also, there is reduced risk of chronic unemployment, social isolation, substance misuse complications, and criminal justice system interactions - which delivers huge value to the community."Colonel Tony Gauvain (Retired), Chairman of PTSD Resolution

"This report provides evidence that targeted, veteran-specific mental health therapy can improve mental health while offering good value for money. By supporting veterans to recover from anxiety, depression, and psychological distress, programmes like PTSD Resolution deliver benefits that extend beyond the individual to society as a whole."Jon Franklin, Chief Economist at PBE

This report validates the charity's approach—making therapy accessible, acceptable, and effective, while ensuring that every pound is spent wisely. By providing high-quality, tailored therapy, PTSD Resolution not only improves recovery outcomes but also represents an effective and efficient use of charitable funding.

PTSD Resolution's unique approach delivers:

Notes to editors

The report, titled 'Evaluating the impact of mental health ​​​​therapy on the well-being of veterans' is attached and will be available to download here

Interviews available with:

Research methodology

This report draws on PTSD Resolution's Project-100 evaluation, which measured the impact of therapy on veterans with clinically diagnosed anxiety, depression, and psychological distress using GAD-7, PHQ-9, and CORE-10 scores. Reliable recovery is defined as an improvement that brings scores below clinical thresholds.

PBE quantified the benefits of recovery in Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), using WHO health weights and NICE methodology. Recovery trajectories were modelled up to one year post-therapy under three scenarios: high (full maintenance of benefits), mid (50% retained), and low (benefits gradually return to natural recovery levels).

Total QALYs were monetised using the Treasury Green Book valuation for 2023/24, allowing comparison with the cost of delivering the programme. To account for uncertainty in attributing improvements to the therapy, we modelled the proportion of recovery required for benefits to exceed costs and drew on wider evidence of recovery rates for similar mental health conditions to estimate potential benefit-cost ratios.

Limitations include excluding improvements that remain above clinical thresholds, limited long-term follow-up, and unquantified wider benefits such as improved social connections or employment outcomes. As such, the results are indicative and likely underestimate the programme's full value.

About PBE

PBE (formerly Pro Bono Economics) is a UK charity dedicated to ending wellbeing poverty by empowering frontline charities with economic expertise and evidence. PBE partners directly with charities to help them measure impact, secure funding, and influence policy, ensuring effective interventions reach those most in need. Through hands-on support, mentoring, and the creation of sector-wide initiatives like the Law Family Commission on Civil Society, PBE strengthens civil society, drives systemic change, and helps charities move from crisis response to long-term resilience. PBE works closely with the economics profession to achieve its aims, building relationships between over 600 economist volunteers and supporting over 600 charities and social purpose organisations since 2010.

PTSD Resolution

PTSD Resolution is a UK charity that provides free mental health support for veterans, reservists, and their families struggling with trauma from military service or other life challenges. Through their network of over 200 accredited Human Givens therapists, they deliver confidential, one-to-one sessions, helping clients rebuild work and family life. Their programme complements other services, including work in prisons and with individuals facing alcohol or drug issues.