I noticed that this article only mentions men - does anyone have any info on women returning from theatre and whether they suffer the same psychological symptoms, get into drugs, go to jail etc?Although most youngsters join the army to fight under the British flag, many are also presumably seduced by claims that a military career will equip them with skills for later civilian life. In fact, experience in the army is condemning thousands of young men to trauma, emotional problems, substance abuse and prison.
The phenomenon of ex-servicemen failing to adapt to life on civvy street, getting into trouble and going to jail is not new. In 2002, the Chief Inspector of Prisons warned military top brass of the trend. But evidence collected by probation teams across the country, and revealed in The Observer today, indicates an alarming rise in the numbers involved. It estimates that 8,500 soldiers are incarcerated, making up 9 per cent of the whole prison population. In 2004, a government survey put the figure at around 5 per cent.
We know that soldiers make up the biggest occupational group in the penal system, but exact figures are not available. A comprehensive survey must be conducted to assess the true scale of the problem.
What is clear is that there is a pattern of offending. Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan commit violent acts under the influence of drink or drugs. Many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The MoD has taken some steps to mitigate the effects of combat trauma, introducing pilot schemes to counsel veterans. But Britain lags far behind the US in dealing with the problem. After the Vietnam War, post-traumatic stress became a major issue for the US military, which has devoted considerable time and resources to understanding and addressing the disorder.
Today, any US soldier returning from the battlefield enters a 'decompression zone' where they are automatically assessed by mental health experts before being allowed out of base. Their families are given help identifying potentially worrying symptoms. A similar system here would help target at an early stage those at risk of harming themselves and others. This would obviously require resources but, since it costs at least £40,000 to keep a prisoner in jail for a year, money spent reducing the number of potentially violent offenders would be well spent.
More comprehensive psychological treatment would also help lift the taboo that stops many traumatised young men from seeking help. Keeping a stiff upper lip, for centuries the soldier's way, will no longer do.
Purely for personal interest.
