University of Otago researchers have found large numbers of New Zealand military personnel suffer post-traumatic stress.
The RNZN dive team assist the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force by conducting unexploded ordinance clearance along the shores of the island of Kohingo. Photo: NZ Defence Force
There were 1817 currently serving and retired military personnel surveyed for the study.
The research revealed one in three had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and one in 10 would likely be diagnosed with it.
It found greater length of service, resilience and quality sleep may help to protect some personnel.
Associate Professor in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and lead researcher David McBride said rates of post-traumatic stress were estimated to be about 3 percent in the general population.
"Our results are a timely reminder as we commemorate Anzac Day that support to deal with PTSD is needed for a large number of New Zealanders who are serving, or have served in the military," he said.
The researchers found those suffering from symptoms were more more likely to be older, male, Māori - 78 percent showed at least some symptoms - and have experience of trauma.
"What we were trying to do is to identify veterans with distress, particularly post-traumatic stress injury because when they go to their health providers, they may not identify as a veteran," he said.
"Not all are classified as veterans under the Veterans' Support Act, because they have not deployed on operational service, but we used the overseas definition of 'having served in the military' for our survey and help is available."
The findings were similar to an earlier study that found evidence of post-traumatic stress among 10 percent of New Zealand Vietnam War veterans, Associate Professor McBride said.
The preliminary evidence suggested that early intervention when there was sleep disturbance might help to reduce symptoms, he said.
"Resilience, or a lack of psychological inflexibility, may be a route to improving things; talking therapies, including acceptance and commitment therapy may work, although we need to know more.
"A lot of it is about values, beliefs and attitudes of many veterans because of the military culture, think that asking for help is a sign of weakness, which it is not."
The research is believed to be the first focusing on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress among all New Zealand military personnel.