Why do they fail? A qualitative follow up study of 1000 recruits to the British Army Infantry to understand high levels of attrition

BACKGROUND: The British Army has over 100 career employment groups to which recruits may apply. The Infantry is one of these career employment groups; it accounts for 25% of the overall strength. It is of concern that Infantry recruit attrition within the first 12 weeks of training remains consistently above 30%. Poor selection methods that lead to the enlistment of unsuitable recruits have negative financial and personal consequences, but little is known about the personal experiences of those who fail. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to understand why infantry recruits choose to leave and explore the personal experiences of those that fail. METHODS: This study draws on qualitative data from the second phase of a larger mixed method study. The foci of this paper are the findings directly related to the responses of recruits in exit interviews and their Commanding Officers' training reports. An exploratory qualitative, inductive method was used to generate insights, explanations and potential solutions to training attrition. RESULTS: What the data describes is a journey of extreme situational demands that the recruits experience throughout their transition from civilian life to service in the British Infantry. It is the cumulative effect of the stressors, combined with the recruit being dislocated from their established support network, which appears to be the catalyst for failure among recruits. CONCLUSION: There are clearly defined areas where either further research or changes to current practice may provide a better understanding of, and ultimately reduce, the current attrition rates experienced by the Infantry Training Centre

Good practice guidance for involving carers, family members and close friends of service users in research

Currently, carers are rarely included in the development or implementation of mental health research. However the negative impact of a severe mental health problem is experienced not just by individuals but also by their family and friends. It is estimated that there are 1.5 million carers who have intimate knowledge of this impact. This guide focuses on the valuable role of carers in mental health research. It provides practical and accessible guidance to researchers, commissioners of research, service users and carers. Drawing on a number of case studies, the guidance sets out how carers should be included in research, at what stages of the research process carers can be involved and identifies the core principles for the inclusion of carers

Ave Maria

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky\u27s Ave Maria, arranged and translated into English by Charles Repper. This arrangment is for a four part women\u27s chorus (two soprano parts and two alto parts) with piano accompaniment.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/imri_sheetmusic/1104/thumbnail.jp

Infrared spectroscopic study of absorption and separation of CO using copper(I)-containing ionic liquids

Absorption of carbon monoxide by copper(I)-containing ionic liquids, [Cnmim][CuX2] (Cnmim = 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium, n = 2, 4, 6, X = Cl, Br, I) has been investigated using in situ high pressure infrared spectroscopy. For each liquid, observation of a ν(CO) band in the region 2075–2090 cm−1 indicates the formation of copper(I) monocarbonyl complexes, assigned as [Cu(CO)X2]−. The rate of growth and equilibrium intensity of the ν(CO) absorption is dependent on applied CO pressure. Binding of CO is reversible such that complete desorption occurs rapidly on heating above 100 °C and the liquids are robust over multiple gas absorption/desorption cycles. For the series of [C6mim][CuX2] salts the CO absorption ability follows the order Cl ≥ Br ≫ I. Selective absorption of CO from CO/H2 and CO/N2 gas mixtures is demonstrated by measuring the changes in headspace CO content upon absorption and desorption of gas. For [C6mim][CuCl2], a single absorb–vent–desorb cycle yields product gas containing ∼95% CO starting from a 1 : 1 CO/N2 mixture, increasing to ∼98% CO starting from a 4 : 1 CO/N2 mixture. This is particularly promising in view of the similar boiling points of CO and N2 that hinders their separation by cryogenic distillation

Psychosis and Human Rights: Conflicts in Mental Health Policy and Practice

This paper examines conflicts in polices in England and Wales pertaining to the demand for alternative, non-medical crisis support for those experiencing ‘psychosis’. We examine the limitations of current treatment, policy and legislative frameworks in supporting these demands. In particular, we focus on the limitations of prevailing conceptualisations of ‘human rights’, ‘social inclusion’ and ‘recovery’. These concepts, we argue, are embedded within a broader treatment framework which renders medication as mandatory and all other treatment modalities as inherently subsidiary, and a broader policy framework which is complicit with bio-medical orthodoxies of ‘mental illness’ and prioritises treatment compliance and compulsion. Therefore, in order to advance a ‘human rights’ approach to mental health policy, we argue that reigning orthodoxies inherent within policy and practice must be explicitly challenged to open up spaces for the availability of alternatives

Identifying British Army infantry recruit population characteristics using biographical data

Background: The infantry accounts for more than a quarter of the British Army but there is a lack of data about the social and educational background of its recruits population. Aims: The current study uses biographical data tTo provide an insight into British Army Iinfantry rRecruits’ personal, social and educational background prior to enlistment. Methods: The study sample consisted of 1000 Iinfantry recruits who enlisted into the British Army School of Infantry. Each recruit completed a 95 item biographical questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the whole study sample in terms of demographics, physical, personal, social, and educational attributes. Results: The study sample consisted of 1000 male recruits. Over half of the recruits were consuming alcohol at a hazardous or harmful level prior to enlistment and 60% of recruits had used cannabis prior to joining the Army. Academic attainment was low, with the majority of recruits achieving GCSE grade C and below in most subjects, with 15% not taking any examinations. Over half the recruits had been in trouble with the police and either been suspended or expelled from school. Conclusions: Substance misuse and poor behaviour are highly prevalent among recruits prior to enlistment. Taken alongside existing evidence that some of these problems are commonplace among personnel in regular service, the assumption that the British Army iInfantry is, in itself, a cause of these behaviours should be questioned

14. Recovery: the business case

This paper makes the Business Case for supporting recovery. We believe that this should be informed by three types of data: evaluative research (such as randomised controlled trials); the perceived benefits for service users – what might be termed ‘customer satisfaction’; and best evidence about value for money. Some of the ImROC 10 key challenges have a very strong research base. For example, there is substantially more randomised controlled trial evidence supporting the value of peer support workers (challenge 8) than exists for any other mental health professional group, or service model. Similarly, the scientific evidence for supporting self-management (challenge 1) is compelling. Other challenges have a strong evidence base indicating that they improve people’s experience of services. The positive experiences of students at Recovery Colleges (challenge 3) and the beneficial impact on experience of more involvement in safety planning (challenge 6) are clear

Psychosocial outcomes of an inclusive adapted sport and adventurous training course for military personnel.

PURPOSE: To explore the psychosocial outcomes of an inclusive adapted sport and adventurous training course that aims to support the rehabilitation and personal development of military personnel who have sustained physical and/or psychological disability. METHOD: Narrative life story interviews were conducted with 11 men aged 20-43 taking part in one of the 5-day courses. A thematic narrative analysis was conducted, focusing on accounts that provided insights into personally meaningful psychosocial outcomes of the course. FINDINGS: We identified six themes, falling into two distinct clusters. "Bringing me back to myself" was achieved through the themes of (1) returning to activity, (2) rediscovering a sense of purpose, and (3) reconnecting to others. "New rooms to explore" was realised through (4) experiencing new activities, (5) being valued/respected/cared for and (6) being inspired by other people. CONCLUSION: Involvement in the course stimulated a balance of present- and future-oriented psychosocial outcomes through which participants both recreated aspects of themselves that had been lost through injury/trauma and moved forward with their lives as a result of new horizons of possibility. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: This 5-day inclusive adapted sport and adventurous training course offered meaningful psychosocial outcomes among military personnel who had experienced physical and/or psychological disability. The course helped participants recover aspects of their previous life and self through becoming physically active again, rediscovering a sense of purpose and reconnecting to others. Participants describe a broadening of life horizons as a result of the course, through new activities, being valued/respected/cared for, and being inspired by other people