The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
From The Toronto Star Roadside bombs, rockets and snipers arenÕt the only risks CanadaÕs troops in Afghanistan face. The sheer stress of serving far from family and home and of living with danger, death and injury, also takes its toll. Stress can break down even the toughest soldiers, and burn out medical staff and loved ones who care for them on their return. That is why more of the Canadian ForcesÕ $500 million health budget is being earmarked to help personnel who suffer from operational stress disorders. The military is spending an extra $20 million or more annually for mental health care, as overseas deployments grow. Early this year nearly 5,000 of CanadaÕs 87,000 regular and reserve forces were receiving mental health care. Even so, troops and their families are Òslipping through the cracks,Ó warns Mary McFadyen, the military ombudsman. In a report last week she found the military health system and troops are Òstrained almost to the breaking point,Ó with ÒdevastatingÓ consequences. While Òa significant numberÓ of troops come home with mental health issues, some are going undiagnosed, the report says. Some arenÕt getting proper treatment. Some face stigma, and are afraid to seek treatment, fearing for their careers. Some just try to Òsuck it up.Ó Military culture is partly to blame. But staff shortages are also a factor. At Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, more than 5,000 troops are served by one psychologist and one psychiatrist. The military has plans to double its mental health staff to more than 400 personnel. McFadyenÕs proposed remedies are sweeping, pointed and sensible. She urges the chief of defence staff to appoint a national, full-time stress injury co-ordinator who reports directly to him. The military should also invest more in preventing and treating stress disorders, reform its culture, conduct a health survey, set up a national database, and improve diagnosis, care, training and education. As well, more has to be done to accommodate stress sufferers in other military jobs, and to address caregiver burnout. WhatÕs needed is all-hands-on-deck action. Prime Minister Stephen Harper should take an interest in this file, and prod the treasury. There is no way to get the job done on the cheap. But the military risk their lives for this country. Ottawa shouldnÕt aim for cheap.
