Mental health on the front line

 

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The government has been criticised for failing to help ex-servicemen and women suffering from mental health problems, following a report in the Independent.

Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in saving the lives of his comrades in Iraq, has spoken out in the paper on the lack of mental health care provision for those returning from war zones.

 

Mental care "disgraceful"

In the interview he said it was "disgraceful" that those who had served their country in Iraq and Afghanistan were forced to wait for NHS treatment and had to rely on charities to step in.

"These are people who have served this country," said 29 year-old Lance Cpl Beharry to the newspaper. "Why can't they get treatment? I don't think the government is doing enough for soldiers. Those who are still serving get some form of help for combat stress, but even those who are serving don't get enough support," he said

Lance Cpl Beharry himself suffers from pain, nightmares, mood swings and unexplained rages, five years after receiving a serious head wound received in Iraq, according to the BBC.

Defence minister Kevan Jones defended the government's stance, insisting it was "not complacent" when it came to treating veterans, it was widely reported.

"We recognise mental illnesses as serious and disabling conditions but also ones that can be treated," he said, adding that "dedicated psychiatric teams based in theatre provide the very best diagnosis and treatment of psychological illnesses both during and after deployments."

 Lance Cpl Beharry's lambast of the mental health provision for veterans has been followed by research from Manchester University that shows that young war veterans are three times more likely to kill themselves than civilians.

Data compiled by the Centre for Suicide Prevention found that veterans under the age of 24 are at greatest risk, with those in lower ranks and with shorter careers most vulnerable.

 

Coping with conflict

Latest figures released by Ministry of Defence agency Defence Analytical Services and Advice, published in November of last year, show that nearly 4,000 new cases of mental health disorder were diagnosed in 2007 among armed forces personnel.

Mental health issues included post traumatic stress disorder, depression, alcohol and substance misuse and neurotic disorder.

Statistics from the last quarter of 2007 showed that mental disorder among female personnel was double that of male personnel. The specific service in which personnel served was also relevant, as cases of mental health issues were slightly higher among the Army and Royal Air Force compared with the Royal Marines and Royal Navy.

But the figures showed there was no significant increase in those suffering from a mental disorder who were serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, compared to those serving elsewhere.

In an interview with the BBC, Chris Williams, from the Defence Medical Services Department, said only about 150 people a year were discharged for mental health reasons.

"What that demonstrates is that people who come forward and get treatment, the vast majority of them go back to service," he said.

Research conducted in 2007 by Kings College London to assess the relationship between frequency and duration of deployment of UK armed forces personnel on mental health, found that personnel who were deployed for 13 months or more in the past three years were more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The report also found that the longer the length of deployment, the more at risk from severe alcohol problems individuals were.

Responding to the publication of the Kings College London research, the under secretary of state for defence, Derek Twigg, said: "We recognise mental illness as a serious and disabling condition and we want to ensure that our people have the best possible mental health support."

Currently, only those servicemen and women still serving with the armed forces are entitled to NHS treatment.

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Previously only associated with conflict situations, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – labelled "shell shock" during the First World War – is now recognised as a psychological condition that can potentially affect anyone experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, according to NHS information.

Reliving the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, problems with concentration and sleeping, feelings of isolation and detachment from life are all symptoms of the disorder, which can prove so severe that it can significantly impair a person's daily life.

The Mental Health Foundation cites various UK studies that have indicated links between active service and mental health problems. Such research shows 22 per cent of a sample of Falklands War veterans showed symptoms of PTSD – a much higher percentage than in the general population.

The impact of combat experience can also manifest a long time after the event, with the mental health charity citing studies whereby troops deployed to the first Gulf War in 1991 showed higher than normal levels of psychological distress and fatigue many years after the conflict. Similarly, psychological difficulties in a sample of British troops increased by 50 per cent after return from duty in Northern Ireland during the conflict there.

The ex-services mental welfare society, Combat Stress, says one of the main challenges in helping those suffering from PTSD is to get them to accept treatment. Many sufferers, the society explains, feel misunderstood by health professionals and society and therefore often suffer in silence, while others carry so much guilt that they feel unworthy of accepting help.

Samaritans trained volunteers are there to offer confidential, non-judgmental emotional support to anyone experiencing distress, you can contact them via phone on by phone on 08457 909090 (GB), or 1850 609090 (ROI), email at jo@samaritans.org or face to face, visit http://www.samaritans.org/ to find your nearest branch.

 

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