War is a very miserable place. It’s no surprise to learn that thousands of soldiers suffer with long-term mental health problems during and after participating in conflicts. Sometimes it’s not even the violence that can lead to soldiers becoming distressed – it’s the loneliness and the lack of access of to their family which can cause relationship problems.
Nevertheless, the US military is steadily improving services for soldiers who struggle with mental health issues while serving in Afghanistan. These services range from a classified videophone service which allows almost every soldier remote access to a psychologist, to having a plane ready to ship soldiers out of the country if the situation becomes too intense.
A team of around 40 psychologists, social workers and support staff are based in a concrete and metal hut. This cosy base contains sofas, board and video games and a large DVD library. They offer the opportunity for soldiers to come in and relax, and to discuss their issues before they become too much to manage.
There is still, however, a stigma in the military regarding mental health. This is probably borne out of the fact that the whole ethos is to avoid too much introspection and just to get on with the task at hand. Nevertheless a growing number still suffer with problems, and that includes senior commanders as well as young recruits.
Many soldiers worry that if they go to counsellors for professional help it will be the end of their career. But that seems to be the opposite of truth, as careers are often saved by intervention before the beginnings of the problem develop into a huge issue.
The success of the programme speaks for itself, and while it may take time for the stigma surrounding mental health in the armed forces to disappear, they only help with the good work they do.
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