Thread by @MetroUK

Charity @samaritans have launched a free, dedicated app to help veterans with the long-term challenges of moving from service to civilian life.

Military veterans are almost twice as likely to experience ‘suicidal ideation’ than the general population.

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The lifeline service found that former personnel are almost twice as likely to report ‘suicidal ideation’ compared with the general population.

A particular at-risk group is ‘early service leavers’ – those who leave involuntarily, usually within six years – under the age of 24.

Ben Phillips, a former officer in the Royal Artillery, worked with soldiers experiencing issues when leaving the armed forces.

He is now head of service programmes at the Samaritans and helping to break down what can be a ‘mental barrier’ preventing veterans from seeking help.

‘I can only speculate that they come from a culture where violence is seen as a more feasible solution to jump to more quickly than civilians do or perhaps it’s around emotional articulation and not being able to talk about their problems as easily.’

The Samaritans Veterans’ App will run along it's 24 hours a day, 365 days a year phone service.

With the figures showing that 40% of veterans seeking help have expressed suicidal ideation, the tool is designed to provide support before they reach that level of crisis.

Based on research by the Samaritans and the Royal British Legion, the portal has emotional health and wellbeing information, exercises, podcasts, ways to connect with the veteran community and videos of those who have made the transition reflecting on their journeys.

‘The app is more about self-help,’ Ben said. ‘I would encourage anyone leaving the services to take a look at how they prepare themselves for that emotional transition after the Armed Forces.'