Unsupervised deep learning identifies semantic disentanglement in single inferotemporal face patch neurons.

In order to better understand how the brain perceives faces, it is important to know what objective drives learning in the ventral visual stream. To answer this question, we model neural responses to faces in the macaque inferotemporal (IT) cortex with a deep self-supervised generative model, ß-VAE, which disentangles sensory data into interpretable latent factors, such as gender or age. Our results demonstrate a strong correspondence between the generative factors discovered by ß-VAE and those coded by single IT neurons, beyond that found for the baselines, including the handcrafted state-of-the-art model of face perception, the Active Appearance Model, and deep classifiers. Moreover, ß-VAE is able to reconstruct novel face images using signals from just a handful of cells. Together our results imply that optimising the disentangling objective leads to representations that closely resemble those in the IT at the single unit level. This points at disentangling as a plausible learning objective for the visual brain.

A cluster randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) in a military population.

Trauma Risk Management is a peer-support program that aims to promote help-seeking in the aftermath of traumatic events. Prior to its implementation, the British military conducted a randomized controlled trial of Trauma Risk Management against standard care in 12 warships; 6 were randomized to use Trauma Risk Management after collecting baseline measurements. Follow up after 12-18 months found no significant change in psychological health or stigma scores in either group; however, the studied vessels only encountered low numbers of critical incidents. Additionally, measurements of organizational functioning were modestly better in the Trauma Risk Management ships. The authors conclude that within organizations using Trauma Risk Management may be beneficial and may, in time, lead to a valuable cultural shift.

Stigma and mental health in the Royal Navy: a mixed methods paper.

BACKGROUND: US research suggests that military personnel suffering from mental health problems are reluctant to seek help because of stigma. AIMS: First, to identify the prevalence of mental health stigma beliefs in a UK military sample. Second, to investigate whether distressed personnel report more stigma than those who are not distressed. METHOD: A survey of 1599 naval personnel was undertaken as part of a larger trial prior to examining the effectiveness of a novel trauma support program. RESULTS: The presence of internal stigma was substantial and significantly higher for distressed personnel. The prevalence of stigma about other people's mental health problems was low. Junior personnel reported being more uncomfortable in discussing emotional issues with their peer group than senior staff. CONCLUSIONS: Internal stigma remains a significant barrier to help seeking within the Royal Navy, especially for distressed personnel. This may be especially problematic for junior personnel who are known to be particularly vulnerable to developing mental health problems.

Alcohol misuse in the Royal Navy.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that military personnel consume considerable amounts of alcohol which may have both medical and occupational implications. AIM: To compare alcohol consumption and misuse within the Royal Navy (RN) to that in the civilian population. METHODS: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire is a short measure of alcohol use disorders. It was administered to 1333 male RN personnel from operational naval units. 'Heavy' drinking was defined as consuming >21 units/week, 'very heavy' as >42 units/week, binge drinking as >8 units in one session and 'problem' drinkers as those advised to cut down in the last year. The study also measured psychological health using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 and post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for civilians (PCL-C). RESULTS: The response rate was 70%. The majority (92%) scored as hazardous drinkers on the AUDIT-C, 40% met the criteria for heavy drinking, 27% for very heavy drinking, 48% reported binge drinking at least once a week and 15% were classed as problem drinkers. Heavy drinking was associated with younger age, lower rank and higher scores for both PCL and GHQ. All results were substantially higher than in age-matched civilian samples. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive alcohol consumption, especially binge drinking, is significantly more prevalent in the RN than in the general population. Such high levels of drinking are likely to impact upon occupational efficiency and have both short-term and long-term health effects. We suggest that more needs to be done to deter excessive levels of consumption in order to avoid long-term health consequences.

Culture: what is its effect on stress in the military?

Culture provides the unwritten rules that inform and shape expected behaviors. To date, little research has been conducted into the attitudes or opinions that service personnel hold toward mental health issues. This article examines current literature and research into the recognition of mental health problems in the military and potential organizational barriers to care including stigma and the specific characteristics of a military culture such as the significant reliance on buddy support. We conclude that the barriers to care which operate in both military and civilian populations are not insignificant. Western militaries in fact currently face an uphill struggle to combat the substantial barriers to care that exist.

Peer responses to perceived stress in the Royal Navy.

BACKGROUND: Various organizations, including the Armed Forces, regularly place their personnel into potentially traumatic environments. Exposure to such events can lead to the development of psychological distress and organizational inefficiencies. It follows that the Armed Forces need to consider how best to address and prevent trauma-related problems both from duty of care and organizational effectiveness viewpoints. AIM: To investigate how Royal Navy personnel report they would deal with distress including the possibility of Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH) in peers. METHODS: In total, 142 interview transcripts were examined to see how military personnel would respond to a vignette which was concerned with how they would help a distressed peer. Interviews were analysed using content analysis and inclusive inductive categorization. RESULTS: The majority of individuals would interact positively with a peer who appeared to be 'under stress', and refer them on if problems did not resolve. Most respondents reported they would take positive action regarding immediate management of DSH, referring to either medical or management staff. The majority thought that reporting ideas of DSH would impact upon the potential harmer's career. Lower ranked personnel were more likely to report a negative impact. CONCLUSIONS: The results are generally encouraging; the majority of those interviewed would actively involve themselves in the care of their peers and refer them on appropriately if the situation deteriorated. Most individuals interviewed saw DSH as a real, predominately medical problem that required immediate active intervention. However, many felt that help seeking could be detrimental to one's career within the services.