Cutting edge treatments and technologies
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ (OVA) Health Innovation Fund recently awarded £5million for 22 projects to drive forward cutting-edge treatments and technologies to support veterans’ healthcare. We are delighted to announce that Combat Stress is working in partnership with two leading universities to develop two health apps to improve veteran health funded under this scheme.
The research team at Combat Stress are working in partnership with King’s College London to tailor an app for female veterans to help them reduce their alcohol consumption from hazardous levels. The team originally developed DrinksRation last year for male veterans, who represent 90% of the Armed Forces. However, research has shown that female veterans also report symptoms of excessive alcohol consumption which can be hazardous to their health. This project will modify the app to meet the specific and unique needs of female veterans.
The Combat Stress research team are also working in partnership with Swansea University and King’s College London to develop a smart-phone based app to reduce harmful gambling and PTSD. Called ACTIVATE, the aim is to create a cost-effective and mobile- based treatment. Military veterans are at higher risk of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and becoming addicted to gambling. Combining the difficulty in acknowledging that they may have a mental health disorder or addiction, it is known that veterans are unlikely to visit their GP or reach out for help so a mobile app could help them to manage their symptoms.
Robert Marsh, Director of Fundraising at Combat Stress, said: “We are extremely grateful to OVA Health Innovation Fund for awarding these grants. As the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health, we provide specialist treatment and support to veterans with complex mental health issues arising from military service. Our treatment is based on evidence gathered through studies such as these and by working in partnership with leading universities we can further enhance the support we offer our veterans.”