Loneliness among veterans in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness among military veterans may have unique features because of deployment-related experiences. Consequently, loneliness is increasingly recognized as an issue that may affect the health of veterans, even years after military deployment. AIMS: To examine the prevalence of loneliness in Dutch veterans and to assess the extent to which their loneliness is associated with deployment-related factors. METHODS: We invited 6000 veterans who have left the Armed Forces to fill out a questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to assess the association between loneliness and deployment-related factors in addition to demographic information, social support and needs of care. RESULTS: We received the responses of 2643 veterans (44%). Of them, 27% experienced at least some loneliness and 13% experienced severe loneliness. Social support, perceived comradeship during deployment and a perceived positive effect of one's deployment on life at present are negatively related to loneliness. Younger age, living alone (with or without children), unemployment or work disability, needs of care in general or deployment-related, perceived frustration related to the deployment and longing back to the time of the deployment were positively associated with loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: Feelings of loneliness are prevalent among Dutch veterans who have left the Armed Forces. Veterans' loneliness is associated with several deployment-related factors. To reduce veterans' loneliness, attention for deployment-related experiences and its consequences is recommended.

['Multi-moment non-invasive neurostimulation' - a controlled study of a new treatment for depression]. / 'Multi-moment non-invasieve neurostimulatie'; een gecontroleerde studie naar een experimentele behandeling voor depressieve klachten.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms occur frequently in Dutch society. Recently a new method for treating depressive symptoms was introduced in the Netherlands. The method, known as 'multi-moment non-invasive neurostimulation' (MNNS), involves presenting patients with a series of photographs, each picture having a positive valence. The purpose of this method is to improve the mood of patients. So far, however, the method has not been thoroughly tested. AIM: To conduct a pilot study designed to compare the effectiveness of MNNS pictures with pictures from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS) by means of a double-blind randomised controlled trial. METHOD: Thirty-three patients with depressive symptoms were randomly assigned to two groups, one representing the experimental condition (MNNS) and the other the control condition (IAPS). Patients were treated for six weeks in one mood-inductive session per week. The severity of the patients' depressive symptoms was assessed before the mood-induction treatment began and again at one week and at three months after the final session. RESULTS: Each group showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. There were no significant differences between the MNNS condition and the control condition with regard to the reduction of depressive symptoms over time. CONCLUSION: There was a marked reduction in the depressive symptoms of the patients of both groups which had received short-term treatments involving the viewing of pictures with a positive valence. This reduction was still apparent three months after the treatment. The positive pictures presented in the MNNS method were found to be just as effective in reducing depressive symptoms as the positive pictures presented by the IAPS.

Prevalence of mental health symptoms in Dutch military personnel returning from deployment to Afghanistan: a 2-year longitudinal analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies in troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have shown that combat exposure and exposure to deployment-related stressors increase the risk for the development of mental health symptoms. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of mental health symptoms in a cohort of Dutch military personnel prior to and at multiple time-points after deployment. METHODS: Military personnel (n=994) completed various questionnaires at 5 time-points; starting prior to deployment and following the same cohort at 1 and 6 months and 1 and 2 years after their return from Afghanistan. RESULTS: The prevalence of symptoms of fatigue, PTSD, hostility, depression and anxiety was found to significantly increase after deployment compared with pre-deployment rates. As opposed to depressive symptoms and fatigue, the prevalence of PTSD was found to decrease after the 6-month assessment. The prevalence of sleeping problems and hostility remained relatively stable. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of mental health symptoms in military personnel increases after deployment, however, symptoms progression over time appears to be specific for various mental health symptoms. Comprehensive screening and monitoring for a wide range of mental health symptoms at multiple time-points after deployment is essential for early detection and to provide opportunities for intervention. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: This project was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Defence.

The variation in appearance of the hard palate and the nasal floor in rotational panoramic radiography.

This study was performed to find the origin of the radiopacity in the region of the hard palate and to explain the variability in appearance of this radiopacity in panoramic radiographs. It could be demonstrated, with the use of metal markers attached to a dry human skull, that the radiopacities seen in the region of the hard palate represent the junction of the nasal septum and the hard palate and the junction of the maxillary sinus to the hard palate. The appearance of one or two lines depends on the angulation of the skull. A more inclined (chin-down) position of the skull produces two lines, whereas a chin-up position results in a superimposition of the two lines and produces only one line. The image of the junction of the bony septum and palate is unsharp because of the greater distance from the focal plane. The junction of the maxillary sinus to the hard palate is closer to the image layer and will appear as a sharp line.