The dying of the light

Earlier this fall, I wrote a short piece about the untimely death of Maj Ray Ruckpaul, by his own hand. I noted that depression is a serious issue for the military, one that has been historically under-appreciated for a whole multitude of reasons - fears of being seen as weak by soldiers, an unsympathetic leadership cadre, and a systemic predilection for weeding out the unfit rather than helping them become fit again. I'm told that in recent years, progress has been made on all these issues; I hope that's right.

In recent days, a discussion has been going on at my favourite U.S. milblog, Argghhh!!!, about depression and suicide among military members south of the border. It's an important discussion.

It's important, because while we'll never completely defeat the darkness that invades the minds of some of our men and women in uniform, we can do a better job of fighting it.

Via Argghhh!!!, we learn that the U.S. Army recently sponsored a study of mental health issues in post-deployment military personnel. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, November 14th, and it makes a number of useful points:

What did the Army learn? This study looks at the first 88,000 Soldiers who went through both screenings.

Study findings:

• The study shows that if you screen Soldiers a second time, you uncover a second, larger group of Soldiers who were not detected to have health concerns on the first screen.


• Of the Soldiers who identified either depression or PTSD symptoms on the first screening, more than half had improved by the second screening; many of them without treatment.


• The study also indicates that many Soldiers sought care within 30 days of the initial screening even if they were not referred, suggesting that the Army’s three-part process of self-identification, provider interview and Battlemind training promotes seeking out mental health care when needed.


• Although on the initial screening National Guard and Reserve Soldiers reported physical and mental health concerns similar to the rates of active-duty Soldiers, their concerns were significantly higher than active-duty Soldiers at the time of the second screening. Reserve- component Soldiers could be more concerned with their health because they are worried about their Tri-Care benefits expiring, where as active-duty Soldiers know they have time to seek help if it is needed. However, VA’s will always provide help with combat related injuries, although Soldiers should document their symptoms for their files.


• Serious relationship conflicts showed the largest rate of increase between the PDHA to the PDHRA. This highlights the mental health impact on families, a finding also noted in the recent DOD Mental Health Task Force Report.


• Soldiers reported alcohol misuse at rates similar to other problems, although the fact that Soldiers are willing to admit to alcohol misuse could be an indication the stigma of seeking helping is waning.

I think the first point is the real take-away from this: symptoms of depression aren't always evident at the first screening.

That's why I find the death of Private Frédéric Couture of an apparent suicide yesterday so very sad. Because he didn't seek the help he could have, because he put on a brave face for the cameras, and because he died needlessly.

Pte. Frederic Couture of the Royal 22nd Regiment appears to have committed suicide earlier this week. He was found at his family home in Roxton Pond, Que., southeast of Montreal.

Couture was 21 when he was injured by a landmine while on patrol in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province in December 2006.

In media interviews, Couture put on a brave front, telling TVA network his morale was good despite the injury that required part of his leg be amputated.

"It's war over there," he said. "I was injured and that's part of the risk of my job."

Couture's best friend told TVA that the soldier insisted he was fine and was even looking forward to going back to his job at CFB Val Cartier.

But retired soldier Georges Dumont told CTV News that, according to Couture's mother, the private had turned down offers of counselling to help him deal with trauma of war.

"He wasn't getting any help because he wasn't admitting that he was having a problem," Dumont said.

This is encouraging:

The federal minister for the Quebec City area, Josée Verner, announced yesterday more than $1.4-million in additional funding for a local outpatient program to help soldiers and veterans deal with PTSD.

But it's a drop in the bucket when it comes to mental health needs in the CF. We need to make sure our soldiers, sailors, and airmen are as prepared as they can be for the psychological toll their work will inflict upon them, and then throw every resource available at the inevitable problems as they occur.

Not only does it make strict bean-counter managerial sense to keep your people mentally healthy, but there's a moral obligation as well.

We need to do a better job of fighting against the darkness.