The impact of sickness absence on UK Armed Forces personnel: impact of change in behaviour and social environment on mental health and occupational ou

This proposal intends to focus on interdisciplinary research methods (Psychology and Occupational Therapy), alongside co-production with military personnel, to understand the impact of sickness absence on behavioural, social, emotional, and occupational factors, and develop appropriate evidence-based interventions to address unmet needs.

Within the military, minor injuries hinder operational roles and result in extended work absences, known as medical downgrading. Medical downgrading for service personnel requires abrupt change in purpose from the operational environment (i.e. a ship), to being responsible for one's own recovery. This disruption to routine and community has lasting consequences on service personnel and career outcomes (Papworth et al., 2020).

Whilst there is awareness of the impact of medical downgrading, there is little research into the challenges. This proposal aims to empirically explore ways to support this unmet need, in part based on the researcher's own professional experience.

The struggle to regain motivation and purpose after being off work, poses formidable challenge for those returning to work. This can lead to long-term consequences for individuals and the Armed Forces. In 2022/23, the equivalent of four service personnel a day medically retired early from the UK Armed Forces (Defence Health Statistics, 2003). For context, this loss equates to the number of individuals required to man two Royal Navy type 45 destroyers.