Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with poor outcomes for personnel leaving the United Kingdom Armed Forces early.
Method: We studied a population thought to be at high risk of poor outcomes: those leaving the Services early via the United Kingdom Military Corrective Training Centre. Participants were interviewed 1 week before leaving (predischarge) and followed up 6 months later. One hundred eleven participants completed predischarge interviews. Seventy-four (67%) were successfully followed up and interviewed 6 months later.
Results: Thirty-eight of those followed up (56%) were classed as being disadvantaged after leaving. Being disadvantaged at follow-up was associated with: having predischarge mental health problems, receiving an administrative discharge, or having a short sentence length.
Conclusion: Factors associated with poor outcomes on leaving were often interrelated, making causal relationships complex. However, this study does provide a basis from which to identify, at the point of discharge, those most at risk of further disadvantage.