Exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on UK Military Veterans experiencing PTSD. Gaining the perspectives of service users and healthcare professionals.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the most reported mental health difficulty reported by first responders, emergency service personnel and military veterans. The overall aim of the thesis is to contribute toward the understanding of how individuals who respond to critical incidents such as first responders or emergency service personnel experience PTSD and how military veterans were impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A review of the literature is presented in paper one. A systematic review was conducted of existing literature on PTSD in emergency service personnel and first responders following a critical incident. The literature presents evidence for factors impacting the prevalence and development of psychological distress and PTSD. Direct exposure to a critical incident was a prevalent factor in determining PTSD symptoms and the review found that females experience less symptoms of PTSD than males in this population. The review did not identify the support provisions available to first responders or where they are able to access support post-incident.

Paper two presents the empirical research undertaken which explores the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on UK military veterans experiencing PTSD. Two veterans and ten healthcare professionals took part in focus groups that were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Six themes were identified: Service Provision”, “Barriers to Accessing Services”, “Changes in Clinical Presentation”, “Traumatic Triggers”, “Commemorations” and “The Impact of the British Armed Forces withdrawing from Afghanistan”. These themes are discussed, and recommendations are made for clinical implications and future research.
In paper three, an executive summary of the empirical paper is presented. The summary is aimed at veterans and healthcare professionals working with veterans in healthcare provisions within the UK. It provides a brief background to existing literature on military veterans and PTSD and the Covid-19 pandemic. An overview of the research is presented and suggestions for services