November is horrible, isn’t it? Dark evenings, cold and wet winter weather. But for many, it is a time to remember and pay tribute. The act of Remembrance is hugely important to many, especially Armed Forces veterans. A collective act of respect for all those who were lost in all conflicts, both allies and enemies. It can be a tough time for many.
Remembrance, as the name suggests, is a time to pause and think of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It can also be a painful time for many of those serving and Veterans alike.
You’ve heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In World War I this was known as “Shellshock” and there was very little understanding of what the victim was going through. Indeed, a report from the War Office produced in 1922 stated “No soldier should be allowed to think that loss of nervous or mental control provides an honourable avenue of escape from the battlefield…”. Things have thankfully changed.
Having served in the Royal Air Force for 25 years I have been on both sides of the mental health journey. I have seen issues in others and occasionally had to fight my own demons both in Service and more especially in the years since leaving.
In the UK Armed Forces community, the most common mental health problems are depression, anxiety and alcohol abuse. Most recent research suggests these affect Service and ex-Service personnel at rates double that of the general population!
What experiences can affect mental health in the military? In a nutshell working in the most stressful and unimaginable traumatic situations, spending 6 months or more at a time away from family under those conditions, physical injuries arising from those situations. Also, transitioning to civilian life can be incredibly difficult.
Despite great efforts to improve service provision and mental health attitudes by the Ministry of Defence, the NHS and service charities, help-seeking rates in the Armed Forces community are still very low.
The main barriers to seeking help for mental health problems in the Armed Forces are the same as those outside the military - mental health stigma, a preference to solve problems alone, a lack of social or family support, and the culture of masculinity that equates help-seeking with weakness.
What can be done to address these barriers? Being open, encouraging others to reach out and be open, how to recognise the signs of mental health issues in ourselves and others and trying to end the culture of weakness, that asking for help is a failure. It really isn’t and it is a misconception that needs to be robustly challenged.
Ian Mitton, Canaries Trust member.
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