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Figures on forces mental illness Forces mental illness figures out
(about 2 hours later)
Figures for the number of armed forces personnel with mental health problems are being published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Nearly 4,000 new cases of mental health disorder were diagnosed among armed services personnel last year, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
They are being issued to coincide with a Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps special edition on the issue. Statistics showed there were 3,917 new cases of disorder in 2007, amounting to 4.5 per 1,000 forces members.
The publication will look at treatments available for personnel and veterans. They also showed that personnel sent to Afghanistan or Iraq were more likely to suffer post traumatic stress disorder.
Researchers at King's College, London, have said those undergoing prolonged periods of deployment are more likely to drink too much and suffer stress. The MoD said the "vast majority" of those who came forward for treatment were able to return to service.
The Defence Analytical Services Agency statistics will reveal the number of personnel reporting mental health problems and those diagnosed with related conditions. The latest statistics, relating to the final quarter of 2007, showed there were 195,100 serving personnel.
The findings are being unveiled at a news conference on military mental health attended by senior figures including Brig John Keeling, director of MoD Healthcare, and Dr Ian Palmer, head of the Veterans' Mental Assessment Programme. A breakdown revealed no significant differences in the rates of overall mental disorder between those deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and those who were not.
But the figures showed 38 people sent to these battle zones were diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, compared to five who were not deployed in either country.
Return to service
The Defence Analytical Services Agency figures were issued to coincide with a Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps special edition on the issue. The publication looked at treatments available for personnel and veterans.
The statistics cannot be compared to previous years because the MoD introduced new methods of collating figures for 2007.
Chris Williams, of the Defence Medical Services Department, said only about 150 people a year were discharged for mental health reasons.
"What that demonstrates is that people who come forward and get treatment, the vast majority of them go back to service," he said.
He added that the figures showing a higher rate of PTSD among those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan did not surprise him but added that "absolute numbers" were small.
Strain on familiesStrain on families
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the statistics would give the latest figures, covering the last quarter of 2007. Women had a statistically significant higher rate of mental disorder assessment at 8.2 per 1,000, double that of male personnel at four per 1,000.
"We have changed the way that we collate mental health statistics, with the publication of this quarter, we will have a full year's worth of data," he said. Surgeon Commander Neil Greenberg, senior lecturer in military psychiatry who is on secondment to King's College, London, said the difference in disorder rates between men and women probably reflected those in society.
British armed forces are currently facing a number of demanding tasks, including operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Researchers at King's College have previously said those undergoing prolonged periods of deployment are more likely to drink too much and suffer stress.
There have been 121 British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001, while 176 have died in Iraq since March 2003. Last year, a sample of 5,547 personnel found evidence of mental health problems and greater strain on families if people were deployed for more than 13 months in total over a three-year period.
The King's College research, published last year, sampled 5,547 members of the forces.
It found evidence of mental health problems and greater strain on families if military personnel were deployed for more than 13 months in total over a three-year period.