Forces in Mind Trust has awarded £97,000 to the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) at King’s College London for a new research project exploring the impact of military life on the partners of veterans and military personnel. The study will explore influences on lifestyle behaviours, including exercise, diet, smoking and alcohol, and identify interventions which could be used with this population.

The research team, based at the KCHMR, will be led by Dr Rachael Gribble. The study will begin recruiting in autumn 2022 and is expected to run for 18 months.

Tom McBarnet, Chief Executive (Acting) of Forces in Mind Trust, said “From previous research, we know about the impact of factors such as exercise, smoking and alcohol on ex-Service personnel; but we don’t know much about their partners. This is despite reports of behaviours such as hazardous alcohol consumption amongst partners of military personnel. We are keen to understand the impact lifestyle factors have on ex-Service personnel and their families, and particularly how this affects their transition from military to civilian life. We are pleased that Forces in Mind Trust is able to support this research”.

Dr Rachael Gribble, Lead Researcher, said “We are delighted to have the support of FiMT for this project. While there is a lot of international research looking at the lifestyle behaviours of military spouses and partners, there is very little by comparison in the UK. This important study will help to better our understanding about how military life impacts on military families and possibly lead to interventions that may help families manage some of the challenges they may experience. We look forward to delivering this project alongside military and veteran families and stakeholders.”