Mental health in the military

The number seeking help has been rising year on year

Arising number of serving armed forces personnel are seeking help for mental health issues. New figures from the Ministry of Defence have revealed that 19,793 people serving in the armed forces were seen in a military healthcare setting for a mental health related reason in 2019-20.

That’s one in every eight personnel, or 12.7% of the total number in the Army, Navy, RAF and Marines.

The proportion has been increasing year on year, and is now at its highest on recent record, having risen from 8.6% in 2012/13 when the figures began.

Charities say this could be indicative of changing attitudes towards mental health, with more people feeling able to come forward.

However, they also warn that not everyone feels able to ask for help, so mental health issues could be more prevalent than these figures suggest.

The figures also show that 2.7% of personnel were diagnosed with a mental disorder at MOD Specialist Mental Health Services in the last year.

These can include neurotic disorders such as PTSD, although other types of neurotic disorders such as adjustment disorders are actually more common.

Adjustment disorders are a group of symptoms, such as stress, feeling sad or hopeless, and physical symptoms that can occur after a person goes through a stressful life event.

These symptoms occur because they are having a hard time coping, and their reaction is stronger than expected for the type of event that occurred.

Other mental disorders can include mood disorders, such as severe depression, and those caused by drug or alcohol misuse.

The proportion of personnel assessed as having a mental disorder has only fluctuated slightly over the last few years, and has mainly remained stable.

However, the figures show that the risk is significantly higher for women, with 5.4% of female armed forces personnel assessed with a mental disorder in the last year, compared to 2.3% of men.

Dr Dominic Murphy, head of research at Combat Stress - a mental health charity for veterans, said: “We know that not everyone in the military with a mental health difficulty feels able to seek help.

“It is important that they access support as quickly as possible and that they are given the appropriate treatment without it harming their military careers.

“The latest figures from the MOD could suggest a positive shift in attitude towards mental health as more serving personnel seek support.

“However, the increased rates are also cause for concern as they suggest more people will need mental health support once they leave the military.

“With reduced funding available to military charities, providing this support will prove challenging.”