King’s College London conducted a study on “UK veterans’ mental health and well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic”, which was published by BMJ. The study aims to understand the impact that the pandemic had on the veterans’ mental health, alcohol use and loneliness.

To begin with, despite the uncertainty that was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant decrease (from 48.5% to 27.6%) in hazardous drinking was observed by veterans. Furthermore, the percentage of veterans suffering from common mental health disorders remained stable.

However, the unpredictable nature of the pandemic impacted more the veterans who were experiencing difficulties with family relationships. For instance, 27.4% of the participants reported feelings of loneliness. It should also be noted that veterans experienced the pandemic similarly to the general population, and in some cases have responded in more resilient ways, as it is evident by the stable levels of common mental health disorder and the reduction in alcohol use. To conclude, the study highlights that there remains to be a group of veterans who need mental health support and alcohol treatment services.

EUROMIL has always been engaged in raising awareness concerning the mental health issues of soldiers and veterans, and supports any initiative that provides assistance in dealing with the well-being of veterans and soldiers.