You have been randomly selected to take part and the Ministry of Defence Research Ethics I feel well.
I feel well. Would you still like me to take part?
in the largest study to date of the long-term
health and well-being of serving and ex-
serving members of the UK Armed Forces. This
leaflet gives you some information about the
study.
Who is carrying out the study?
The King’s Centre for Military Health Research
(KCMHR), King’s College, London.
Why is KCMHR carrying out this study?
The study aims to understand more about the pluses
and minuses of military life, experiences after leaving
the Armed Forces and the needs of serving and ex-
serving personnel, reservists, and their families. In
addition, it aims to monitor the health of those who
deploy on operations such as those in Iraq and
Afghanistan. The study includes personnel from all
three services, regulars and reservists, as well as ex-
serving personnel.
Why am I being asked to take part?
The study has been running since 2003 and
approximately 17,000 people have taken part in the
first two phases of the research. We are now
inviting you to take part as you have joined the
military since then. We are asking a randomly
selected group of people who have joined the military
since the last phase of our study to take part to
ensure that the study continues to be relevant to the
Armed Forces today. During phase 3, we will also be
contacting those people who took part in earlier
phases of the study to see how they are doing.
Who is funding the study?
The study is funded by the MoD. However, the
research team is fully independent of the MoD.
Has this study been reviewed?
The study protocol has been reviewed by the King's
College London Psychiatry, Nursing and Midwifery
Research Ethics Committee (Ref: PNM/12/13-169),
Committee (MoDREC) (Ref: 448/MODREC/13).
What are the benefits of taking part in this
study?
The main benefit is that we will gain a greater
understanding of both the positive and negative
aspects of service in the Armed Forces, and the needs
of serving and ex-serving personnel. This will be of
benefit to military personnel, now, and in the future.
What is being asked on the questionnaire?
The questionnaire asks about your military
background and deployment experiences. It also asks
about health and lifestyle, accidents and injuries, and
relationships and families. If you are a reservist, there
are some questions about your employment, and if
you have left the military there are some questions
about your experiences since leaving. The
questionnaire should take no more than 40 minutes
to complete, but may take less than this as not all
sections will be relevant to you.
How do I take part in the research?
You can complete the questionnaire online at
www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr and click ‘Health and Well-
being Study Questionnaire’. Your personal login
details can be found in the enclosed letter.
Alternatively, you can take part by completing the
enclosed questionnaire and returning it to us in the
pre-paid envelope, also enclosed.
If you choose to complete the paper questionnaire,
returning a questionnaire to us implies you consent to
take part in the study. If you choose to complete the
questionnaire online, submission of a partially
completed questionnaire (by clicking ‘next’) implies
consent to participate and for data entered up to this
point to be included in the study. We may try to
contact you to see if you still wish to finish the
questionnaire and take part in the study. Submission
of a completed questionnaire (by clicking ‘submit’)
implies consent to participate, and for all data
collected to be used.
Yes, we want to hear from people who feel well and
those who have any health concerns.
I have left the military. Would you still like me
to take part?
Yes, we want to know more about people’s
experiences when they leave the military.
I have not deployed recently. Would you still
like me to take part?
Yes, we are interested in the health and well-being of
all military personnel, not just those who have
deployed.
Who will get to see the information that I give
in the questionnaire and how will my
information be stored?
Your information will be stored securely, and the
answers you give in the questionnaire will be stored
separately to your personal details. Only the research
team will have access to your questionnaire
responses. We may share anonymised datasets with
other research institutions, however, we will never
share your questionnaire answers linked with
information that would identify you (i.e. your name or
date of birth).
We may need to obtain additional details from your
records to help our research. In order to do so, we
may need to use your name, date of birth and NHS
number to request your health records from
central/national information centres (for example,
your medical records if you have consented for us to
do so). We will NOT pass any of your contact details
(address, email address or phone number) to third
parties including the MoD.
The overall findings and results of the study will be
published, but individual responses will be entirely
confidential. Records will be held for 20 years and
you have the right of access to your records at any
time.
Will I get to see the results of this study? ****
Yes. We will send you newsletters letting you know
about progress and results. Providing us with up to Principal Investigators
date contact details will help us to ensure you receive Professor Sir Simon Wessely
them. (Our latest newsletter can be found on our Professor Nicola Fear
website). In addition, the research team will publish Professor Roberto Rona
the overall results in academic journals. Professor Matthew Hotopf

Do I have to take part? ****

No, participation is voluntary, and you are under no Health and Well-being survey of
obligation to take part. However, for our results to
be valid, it is important for us to hear from as many serving and ex-serving members of
people as possible, and so your participation counts. OUR CONTACT DETAILS the UK Armed Forces
How do I withdraw from the research? If you have any questions, please contact the
If you do not wish to take part in the study you can research team - here are our contact details:
let us know by writing, emailing, or phoning us, or by INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS
returning a blank questionnaire to us, and we will not Address
contact you again. You can also withdraw your King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR)
questionnaire data after you have taken part up until Weston Education Centre
the end of data collection for the study which will be King’s College London
31st October 2016. If you wish to withdraw, please Cutcombe Road
contact us. Our contact details are supplied at the LONDON, SE5 9RJ
end of this leaflet. Please help us by stating your
full name and the reference number given in Telephone
our letter/email. 0207 848 5351

What happens if I suffer harm? Email

Although we think it is unlikely, in the event of you kcmhr@kcl.ac.uk
suffering any adverse effects as a consequence of
your participation in this study, study participants will
be eligible to apply for compensation under the MoD’s Twitter
‘No Fault Compensation Scheme’. If this study has @kcmhr
harmed you in anyway you can contact the research
team using the details below for further advice and KCMHR website
information – please provide your name and contact www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr
details including an email address if you have one.
(Click on ‘Health and well-being study: Information
for Participants’ to find more about the study).
As a thank you for taking part in our study,
there will be an opportunity to enter into a Version 2.4 (R/OL-P)
prize draw