The King’s Centre of Military Health Research (KCMHR)

Previously the Gulf War Illness Research Unit, KCMHR was launched in 2004 as a joint initiative between the Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience and the Department of War Studies, King’s College London.  KCMHR draws upon the experience of a multi-disciplinary team, and is led by Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Nicola Fear.   It undertakes research investigating military life using quantitative and qualitative methods.   Its flagship study is an ongoing epidemiological multiphase investigation of the health and well-being of approximately 20,000 UK Armed Forces personnel.  The study, funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), has been running since 2003 and the third phase of data collection is now underway.  Phase 3 involves a large questionnaire survey of approximately 24,000 personnel and a detailed quantitative interview study of approximately 2000.    The primary aim of the study is to investigate the post-deployment health of those who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.  However, the study is also investigating a range of issues relevant to serving and ex-serving personnel in general, and will also find out more about help-seeking for mental health problems, experiences of mental health care and issues which prevent people from seeking the help they need.

The Academic Department of Military Mental Health (ADMMH)

ADMMH   (formerly ACDMH – The Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health) was established in 2004 and acts as the military hub for mental health research.  It is directed by Professor Sir Simon Wessely and draws upon the experience of a multi-disciplinary team including both military and civilian staff. ADMMH participates in a wide range of research projects and has taken the lead in a number of military health intervention trials including the first psychological health randomised controlled trial within the UK Armed Forces investigating a peer support system in the Royal Navy (Trauma Risk Management, TRiM), a post deployment psychological health intervention trial, funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), examining the efficacy of a psychological briefing process, called ‘Battlemind’,  and an investigation of homecoming processes (known as decompression or normalisation).  Near completion is a randomised controlled trial of post deployment screening (The POST Study).  This is being jointly run with the King’s Centre for Military Health Research.