Management of mental illness by the British Army

Background: The Ministry of Defence has its own hospital for soldiers requiring admission for mental health problems. Aims: To assess the efficiency of the army psychiatric hospital at restoring patients to full active duty. To assess whether a new military training and rehabilitation unit (MTRU) that emphasises military-skills training, improves outcome. Method: A 2-year, inception-cohort outcome study of hospital in-patients. A 12-month, case-matched, ‘before and after’ outcome study compared MTRU patients with hospital in-patients. Results: I (hospital in-patients, n=309): at 2-year follow-up 67 (22%) were fully fit for active duty. Military psychiatrists' success rate at predicting recovery to active duty was 27%. 2: the odds of a soldier in the MTRU cohort (n=35) returning to active duty were 14 times greater than for the hospital cohort (n=35). The odds of remaining in the army while unfit for active duty were 20 times less for the MTRU than for the hospital cohort. Conclusions: The army hospital is inefficient at rehabilitation to active duty. The MTRU significantly increased the odds of returning to active duty and reduced the odds of remaining in the army while still unfit. These findings may be applicable to the emergency services

Physical Fitness Sex Differences of ROTC Cadets

Occupational requirements of military personal necessitate optimal levels of physical fitness; suboptimal levels yield detrimental operations. Consequently, female physical readiness and abilities in comparison to the male soldier fitness level is frequently questioned. Qualitative reports denounce masculine advantages, however, quantitative measures explaining sex differences in physical fitness of military personal remains unclear. PURPOSE: Clarifying the physical fitness difference of male and female militants was the purpose of this investigation. METHODS: A Freedom of Information Act request provided the researchers with Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) results (Raw 2-mile run, Raw 2-minute push-ups, Raw 2-minute sit-ups, Standardized 2-mile run, Standardized 2-minute push-ups, and Standardized 2-minute sit-ups), and Leadership Development Assessment Course field physical fitness scores for male (n = 657) and female (n = 178) Reserve Officers\u27 Training Corps (ROTC) cadets from a southwestern ROTC brigade. An independent sample t-test (PRESULTS: No statistically significant differences were identified between APFT or field physical fitness scores of male and female cadets: Raw 2-minute push-up t(833 ) =.467, .64; Raw 2-minute sit-up t(833) =.719, .47; Raw 2-mile run t(833) t(833) =-.418, t(833) =.952, .34; Standardized 2-mile run t(833) =-.254, .80; overall APFT t(833) =-.132, .90; and field physical fitness t(833) =-.289, .77. CONCLUSION: Brownson (2014) suggested that sex differences should not interfere with physical fitness or physical occupational performance, and based upon qualitative reports female militants possess adequate, and sometimes superior, leadership, physical, and job performance in comparison to male counterparts. These results compliment qualitative reports and suggests female ROTC cadets possess occupationally sufficient physical abilities

Minimum budgets for single people sharing accommodation

Minimum budgets for single people sharing accommodatio

Physical Fitness Differences between ROTC Ranger Challenge Cadets and Regular ROTC Cadets

Physical fitness has proven its worth for military personal, as a whole, and individually. A high physical fitness level serves as an influencing variable to completion of special military operation initiation trainings (i.e. BUD/S Training). Consequently, militant whom possess a higher level of physical fitness may gain greater occupational advancement opportunities/placement. Pre-commissioned military programs requiring rigorous physical activity participation, superior to typical physical training (PT), may yield optimal physical capacity for cadets seeking special military operations commission, and/or alternative military placement involving physically demand responsibilities. The fitness level of cadets enrolled in military programs requiring elevated PT standards compared to cadets in “regular” pre-commission programs necessitates examination. PURPOSE: The purpose of the current research was to examine the physical fitness levels, according to Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) results, of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Ranger cadets (n = 15) compared to Regular ROTC cadets (n = 78). METHODS: Cadets participated in a 12 week Ranger ROTC training program (undulated resistance training; speed, agility, and quickness training; and high intensity interval ruck training) or 12 weeks of the “regular” ROTC calisthenics (i.e. push-ups, sit-ups, bodyweight squats, long-distance running). Upon completed of the training protocols, an APFT was conducted to identify physical fitness level of cadets. An independent sample t-test (α \u3c .05) analyze the mean difference between raw scores, standardized scores, and overall APFT scores of Ranger and Regular cadets. RESULTS: Significant differences were recognized between Ranger and Regular cadets for all aspects of the APFT: Raw 2-minute push-up t(91)=4.281, \u3c.001; Raw 2-minute sit-up t(91)=3.842, \u3c.001; Raw 2-mile run t(91)=-3.993, \u3c.001; Standardized 2-minute push-up t(91)=3.369, \u3c.001; Standardized 2-minute sit-up t(91)=3.668, \u3c.001; Standardized 2-mile run t(91)=3.857, \u3c.001; and overall APFT t(91)=4.130, \u3c.001. CONCLUSION: These results illustrate a drastic difference in physical fitness level among cadets and suggest the elevated fitness level of Ranger cadets may serve as an ample foundation to future military placement and operations

Education Reform for the Digital Era

Will the digital-learning movement repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement? How much more successful might today's charter universe look if yesterday's proponents had focused on the policies and practices needed to ensure its quality, freedom, and resources over the long term? What mistakes might have been avoided? Damaging scandals forestalled? Missed opportunities seized

Sight loss and minimum living standards: the additional costs of living for people of working age who are severely sight impaired and for people of pension age with acquired sight impairment

This research by CRSP uses the Minimum Income Standards (MIS) method to calculate the additional costs of living for different groups of people with vision impairment and shows how they increase with severity of impairment and age. The research, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, is based on deliberation among groups of people with sight loss about additions that need to be made to the standard MIS household budget because of their vision impairment. The report outlines how much extra they need to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living. Working age people who are severely sight impaired face 60% higher costs, and the costs for someone of pension age who is sight impaired can be 41% more than people of the same age who are not vision impaired, both higher than the 25% additional cost identified in a previous study looking at the additional costs of someone of working age who is sight impaired. The research also highlights the broad range of additional costs that people who are vision impaired face and the similarities and differences in needs and costs when severity of impairment and age are taken into account

Sight loss and Minimum Income Standards: the additional costs of severity and age

This research uses the Minimum Income Standards (MIS) method to calculate the additional costs of living for different groups of people with visual impairment. It shows how additional costs increase with severity of impairment and age, and that costs increase further when these two factors combine. The research, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, is based on deliberation among groups of people with sight loss about additions that need to be made to the standard MIS household budget because of their visual impairment. The report outlines how much extra they need to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living. Working age people who are visually impaired face 25% higher costs if they are sight impaired, and 60% higher costs if they are severely sight impaired compared to people of the same age who are not visually impaired. For someone of pension age who is sight impaired costs can be 42% more than people of pension age who are not visually impaired, this increases to 73% more for a pension age person who is severely sight impaired. The research highlights the broad range of additional costs that people who are visually impaired face – from direct aids to help with sight loss, help in the home, to travel and social activities - and variations in needs and costs when severity of impairment and age are taken into account