Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 10 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK.
Occup Med (Lond). 2011 Mar;61(2):102-7. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqq182. Epub 2010 Dec 31.
Third Location Decompression (TLD) is the process through which personnel, returning from combat operations, begin to psychologically 'unwind'. Decompression comprises welfare activities, such as contacting home, beach events, social events, psycho-educational briefings and controlled re-introduction to alcohol.
To assess the subjective utility of decompression by surveying all British troops transiting the TLD facility in Cyprus, during 2008.
Analysis of distributed surveys completed by personnel who had deployed either to Iraq or Afghanistan. The main outcome was the subjective utility of the decompression process, with operational exposures, stigma, early post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and adjustment concerns also measured.
Response rate was 87% (11,304 returned surveys). Eighty per cent of respondents reported being ambivalent or not wanting to go through TLD before decompression; however, on completion, 91% reported finding it useful. The desire to participate was the strongest predictor of perceived helpfulness. Troops who found the TLD less helpful included those who had been through the process before, combat troops and non-commissioned officers. Twelve per cent reported substantial concerns about re-establishing relationships or settling down to 'normal life'; those reporting more adjustment concerns were more likely to perceive TLD as helpful. Six per cent reported significant PTS symptoms and 27% of troops reported substantial levels of stigma related to mental health and barriers to care.
TLD was well received by troops following combat deployment. However, TLD does not appear to be equally acceptable to all and alterations to the TLD programme for certain subgroups might be required.
第三地点减压（TLD）是指从战斗行动返回的人员开始进行心理“放松”的过程。减压包括福利活动，例如与家人联系、海滩活动、社交活动、心理教育简报和控制重新饮酒。
通过调查 2008 年在塞浦路斯过境 TLD 设施的所有英国军队，评估减压的主观效果。
分析部署到伊拉克或阿富汗的人员完成的分发调查。主要结果是减压过程的主观效果，同时还测量了操作暴露、耻辱感、早期创伤后应激（PTS）症状和调整问题。
回应率为 87%（11304 份返回的调查）。80%的受访者表示在减压前对 TLD 持矛盾或不想接受的态度；然而，完成后，91%的受访者表示发现它有用。参与的愿望是感知有用性的最强预测因素。认为 TLD 不太有用的士兵包括那些以前经历过该过程的人、战斗部队和非委任官员。12%的人报告说对重新建立关系或适应“正常生活”有很大的担忧；那些报告更多调整问题的人更有可能认为 TLD 有帮助。6%的人报告有明显的 PTS 症状，27%的士兵报告与心理健康和护理障碍相关的耻辱感较大。
TLD 在战斗部署后受到士兵的欢迎。然而，TLD 似乎并非对所有人都同样可接受，可能需要对 TLD 计划进行某些小组的修改。
