Charity sees reluctance to seek help

Young people in the armed forces are not asking for support, despite the vast majority saying they needed extra help.

New research by charity SSAFA shows 90% of military staff under 30 said they needed more support during or after their career in the force but almost half did not seek it.

SSAFA, which offers support to the military and their families, said one in five did not speak up due to a stigma around asking for help, although 97% said they would never judge someone else for seeking support.

A further 93% said they would feel encouraged to come forward if their colleagues did the same.

“The new web chat will make Forcesline more accessible... BILL GRANT

The charity has now launched a web chat, alongside its Forcesline helpline, to offer young people another way to get in touch.

Anyone looking for support can send a message, which will be picked up by an SSAFA adviser. It is hoped this will alleviate nerves they may have about phoning the helpline.

Bill Grant, Forcesline manager at SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, said: “SSAFA has worked hard to encourage a culture change within serving personnel and veterans so that they feel empowered to ask for help.

“However, this year’s Forcesline data shows that there is still a lot of work to be done to reach the younger generation of serving personnel.

“It’s incredibly important that we make sure our service is flexible and can adapt to fit the needs of the people we support. The new web chat will make Forcesline more accessible to younger generations and will encourage those who have been reluctant to ask for help to come forward and get the support they deserve.”

The research showed it is not only an issue in the forces, as 39% of 16 to 24-year-olds said they would prefer to use text or webchat to talk about their issues over a traditional phone call, compared with only one in 10 over 55s.

Armed forces members, veterans or family members can contact Forcesline on 0800 731 4880 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.