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Written question asked by Chris Ruane (Labour) on Tuesday, 3 September 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 5 September 2019. It was answered by Johnny Mercer (Conservative) on Monday, 9 September 2019 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Veterans: Mental Health Services

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based techniques used in the US for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Answer

Mindfulness-based cognitive techniques have a range of forms and applications, including educational (in developing effective thinking processes) and medical (in treating some mental health conditions). Specifically, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is recognised by the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as effective for the treatment of mental health disorders such as recurrent depression, which can be a problem for returning soldiers and veterans.

Within the UK Armed Forces, mindfulness techniques are increasingly employed in the therapy space and within formal courses as part of an individual's overall treatment plan, in accordance with NICE guidelines. The techniques are also widely supported across the Ministry of Defence for the promotion of well-being and productivity, and this forms the basis of work undertaken by the Defence Mindfulness Steering Group.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
286126
Session
2017-19
Subjects
Iraq Mental health services USA Afghanistan Veterans
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk