About The Event
Organised by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research. Bringing together leading academics, researchers, medical professionals and charities to discuss the key issues in military mental health and the Armed Forces community.
The FiMT Research Centre Conference will conveniently be held in the same location, the day after (Tuesday 20th May 2025).
You can subscribe to the FiMT RC mailing list or visit their website for updates on the FiMT RC Conference: fimt-rc.org.
After the Veterans' Mental Health Conference on Monday 19th May, there will be a drinks and canape reception in the early evening, for delegates who attended either day.
Where
King's College London, Bush House South East Wing, Strand Campus, London, WC2R 1AE
Please enter through the South East Wing entrance, as directed to you on Google Maps.
As you approach the door you will see it labeled 'The Arcade'.
Once you enter, you will be greeted immediately by registration.
When
Monday
19th May 2025
VMHC 2025 Speakers
Professor Dominic Murphy
Organiser / Chair
Combat Stress / King's Centre for Military Health Research, King's College London
Professor Nicola Fear
Session chair
King's Centre for Military Health Research
Professor Vince Connelly
Speaker
Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development, Oxford Brookes University
Dr. Marg Rogers
Speaker
Child and Family Resources & Programs, University of New England, Australia
Speaker to be confirmed
Dr. David Phipps
Speaker
Office of Research Services/Division of VP Research & Innovation, York University, Canada
Professor Paula Schnurr
Speaker
National Centre for PTSD, Dartmouth College, United States
Dr. Dan Leightley
Speaker
Digital Health Sciences, King's College London
Lieutenant General Sir Nicholas Pope KCB CBE
Speaker
COBSEO
Professor Nicole Sadler
Speaker
Phoenix Australia, University of Melbourne
Professor Sir Simon Wessely
Speaker
King's Centre for Military Health Research, King's College London
Veterans’ Mental Health Conference 2025 Programme: Exploring Strategies to Improve Mental Health Outcomes
Registration
Location: The Arcade (Ground Floor)
• 09:30 - 10:00 Registration
Session 1
Chair: Professor Nicola Fear
Location: The Auditorium (Ground Floor)
• 10:00 - 10:05 Opening remarks (Professor Nicola Fear)
• 10:05 - 10:30 The challenges of reservist service (Professor Vince Connelly)
• 10:30 - 10:55 Supporting military families through children's co-created resources: Weaving lived experience narratives to strengthen coping skills (Dr Marg Rogers)
• 10:55 - 11:20 TBC (TBC)
Coffee Break
Location: 8th Floor
• 11:20 - 12:00 Morning coffee break
Session 2
• 12:00 - 13:00 Please submit an abstract before 13th January 2025 to be considered for this session (Speakers to be announced in February 2025)
Lunch
Location: 8th Floor
• 13:00 - 14:15 Lunch
Session 3
Chair: Professor Dominic Murphy
Location: The Auditorium (Ground Floor)
• 14:15 - 14:40 Starting with the end to maximize the impact of your research (Dr David Phipps)
• 14:40 - 15:05 Psychotherapy for PTSD is effective but there is room for improvement (Professor Paula Schnurr)
• 15:05 - 15:30 Exploring the Role of AI in the Armed Forces – Shaping a pathway for the Community (Dr Daniel Leightley)
Coffee Break
Location: 8th Floor
• 15:30 - 16:00 Afternoon coffee break
Session 4
Chair: Professor Dominic Murphy
Location: The Auditorium (Ground Floor)
• 16:00 – 16:20 A thriving Armed Force Community in an uncertain world (Lieutenant General Sir Nicholas Pope KCB CBE)
• 16:20 – 16:40 The Australian Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicides: Key findings and considerations for researchers, clinicians and policymakers working with military and veteran populations (Professor Nicole Sadler)
• 16:40 – 17:00 Reflecting on 25+ years of research at KCMHR (Professor Sir Simon Wessely)
• 17:00 – 17:05 Closing remarks and poster prizes announced (Professor Dominic Murphy)
Gallery - Images from 2024 Conference
Event Venue
The Arcade at Bush House, Strand Campus, London, WC2R 1AE
Please enter through the Bush House Arcade entrance, as directed to you on Google Maps.
As you approach the door you will see it labeled ‘The Arcade’.
Once you enter, you will immediately be greeted by registration.
King's College London, London
King’s College London is an internationally renowned university delivering exceptional education and world-leading research.
Ticket Information
- If you are booking a ticket on behalf of a colleague, please complete the booking form with their information. The organisers need to know the delegates full name, contact details, dietary requirements, etc.
- The standard fee is £109 per day which includes all refreshments and a canapé reception (early evening Monday 19th May 2025 for delegates attending either day).
- There will be a discount for delegates purchasing tickets for both days, the total being £198 for both days, which works out at £99 per ticket.
- If you are a Cobseo member, you are also entitled to a 50% discount on the VMHC, thanks to our sponsors the Forces in Mind Trust. Please note each organisation is only entitled to a maximum of 2 discounted tickets and these are sold on a first come first served basis. There are only 50 discounted tickets available. If you are eligible, please email [email protected] and ask for the Cobseo discount code/password. You must include your organisations name in your email, so we can verify you are a Cobseo member.
- Ticket sales will close on Friday 2nd May 2025, or earlier if tickets sell out.
- If you are unable to attend, you must let us know before Friday 2nd May 2025 and we will change the name on your ticket for you or offer you a full refund.
- Any name change requests after Friday 2nd May 2025 will be declined, as it does not give the organisers sufficient time to inform the venues security team of changes, update attendance lists for registration, print new name badges, etc. Our venues security team require the final list of delegates 2 weeks in advance of the event, and they will not allow people who are not registered to access the building.
- Any refund requests after Friday 2nd May 2025 will not be granted as it does not give the organisers sufficient time to resell the ticket and complete the security steps that follow as mentioned above.
Call for Abstracts: Oral Presentations or Posters
Abstract Submission Guidelines
The online platform for abstract submissions will open at 13:00 (BST) on 11th October 2024 and close at 17:00 (GMT) on 13th January 2025.
The 2025 Veterans’ Mental Health Conference (VMHC) will focus on the theme of 'Exploring Strategies to Improve Mental Health Outcomes'. We invite submissions from those working in the sector researching the Armed Forces community (including research on serving personnel, veterans and their families). In particular, we welcome submissions from early career researchers (ECRs).
Presented research should either be recently completed or well-progressed, with results. Submissions can be for either poster or podium presentations:- Poster presentations: A traditional poster to be displayed for the duration of the conference. If your abstract is selected as a poster you will need to purchase a ticket. However, posters will be eligible to win a prize. There are 3 x £50 vouchers available to win.
- Oral podium presentation: Presentations are to be 15 minutes long, with an additional 5 minutes for questions. If your abstract is selected as an oral presentation, you will be given a complimentary ticket to the Veterans’ Mental Health Conference.
Submissions Process
The online abstract submission form can be accessed here; you will need to create an Oxford Abstracts account before you can submit your abstract. Only submissions received via the online form will be considered. If you have any difficulties accessing or registering with the system, please contact [email protected].
We will not be able to accept incomplete submissions, abstracts that are submitted any time after the submission deadline, or identical abstracts submitted multiple times.
Our abstract submission process is shared with the Forces in Mind Trust Research Centre Conference, which will be held the day after, on Tuesday 20th May 2025. Please ensure you are selecting the right conference when submitting as both have distinct themes and focuses.
Online Form Guidance
Conference Day Selection: Our abstract submission process this year is shared with the Forces in Mind Trust Research Centre Conference, which will be held the day after the VMHC. Please ensure you are selecting the right conference when submitting.
Authors and Affiliations: Include the names of all lead authors and co-authors, and their respective affiliations. These names will be printed in the final delegate pack as submitted.
Abstract Title: The full title of your submission. This will be printed in the final conference agenda as submitted and is capped at a 50-word limit.
Abstract: This should be concise (<250 words) and provide a clear overview of the research or project and its aims and objectives. All applicants should use the following headings for the body of the abstract:- Background
- Method
- Results
- Conclusions
Relevant Theme(s): Each submission should fall within one or more of the key themes (education/training, employment, family/relationships, finance, housing, justice, mental health, physical health, well-being).
Presentation type: Please select from the drop-down box provided, whether you would prefer the submitted abstract to be considered for a poster presentation, oral podium presentation or both.
Newsletter
You can join our newsletter and stay up to date by visiting our joining page HERE
Contact Us
Organiser Address
King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR)Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, SE5 9RJ
London