Seaside News Article – Military Mental Health

Our Armed Forces face continual challenges in the immensely difficult job that they do. It was only in World War one when the British Army was faced with the numbers of troops with battle fatigue and shell shock that an interest was taken in the mental health impact of military life. The challenges facing our armed forces are well understood, as they have traditionally risked their lives in the world’s trouble spots. Less documented are the mental strains that come with the job.

The most obvious risk to mental health is combat itself, a violent experience that can lead to later mental health problems. Many men returning from the first and second world wars having joined as conscripts were unable to talk about their experiences. We now know that military service brings great emotional and mental health strains With a professional army there needs to be professional levels of care and support. 

Service personnel returning from Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Middle East may have problems which do not end with their tour of duty. Veterans can face real difficulties with trying to readjust to civilian life. The MoD have established the Reservists Mental Health Programme (for information call: 0800 0326258) and the Medical Assessment Programme (for information call: 0800 169 5401), accessible to personnel who have served since 1982. I hope that these schemes are able to make the transition from serving to civilian life a more comfortable process for all of those who risk their lives to protect us.