Soldiers more likely to be convicted of violent offences, report reveals

Tags

alcohol abuse, anger, anxiety, armed forces, combat, Depression, mental health issues, Military, military personnel, PTSD, support, trauma, treatment, troops, veterans, violence, violent behaviour, violent offence, vulnerability

Soldiers more likely to be convicted of violent offences, report reveals

Young British men who have served in the armed forces are three times more likely to have been convicted of violent offences than their civilian peers, according to a study published on Friday.

The report in the Lancet, the first to marry the experiences of almost 14,000 military personnel with details on the Police National Computer, also shows how troops who have been in combat are more likely to be involved in violent offending back in the UK.

The study’s authors believe this raises questions about how the military and the NHS supports serving and former troops, some of whom end up abusing alcohol or developing severe mental health illnesses following tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Drawing on a random sample of 13,856 serving and ex-personnel mostly from the army, researchers from King’s College London looked at criminal offending rates and the possible links between them and post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.

The study found that of 2,700 men serving in the armed forces under the age of 30, 20.6% had been convicted of a violent offence, compared with 6.7% in the general population. Men who had seen combat in Iraq and Afghanistan were 53% more likely to commit a violent offence than those in non-frontline roles. And personnel who had multiple experiences of combat had a 70% to 80% greater risk of being convicted of acts of violence.

Violent offences covered a broad range of acts, from verbal harassment to homicide. They did not include incidents of domestic violence.

“More frequent exposure to traumatic events during deployment increased the risk of violent offending,” the report says. “We noted a strong link between PTSD and violent offending. Combat veterans with PTSD and other mental health concerns frequently present with problems of anger and aggression.” However, it also notes that troops who volunteer and are trained for fighting are not chosen randomly.

“In the UK, infantry units have traditionally promoted aggression as a desirable trait and such units frequently recruit individuals who are socially disadvantaged and are likely to have low educational attainment.”

Dr Deirdre MacManus, who led the study, said: “Our study found that violent offending was most common among young men from the lower ranks of the army and was strongly associated with a history of violent offending before joining the military. Serving in a combat role and traumatic experiences on deployment also increased the risk of violent behaviour.”

Prof Sir Simon Wessely, who co-authored the study, added: “We are suggesting there is a problem that needs to be looked at, but just as with post traumatic stress disorder this is not a common outcome in military populations.”

Screening within the armed forces to identify at-risk individuals would not work, he argued. For every correct prediction there were likely to be five that were wrong.

Dr Walter Busuttil, director of medical services at Combat Stress, said: “These findings will help us to identify which veterans are most vulnerable and in need of appropriate care and treatment after leaving the armed forces. We are planning courses for anger management and domestic violence. We are about to establish programmes that deal with alcohol abuse linked to PTSD.

“It would be grossly unfair and inaccurate to characterise all veterans living with PTSD as potential criminals. As noted in the report the vast majority [83%] of serving and ex-serving UK military personnel do not have any sort of criminal record, and the likelihood of violent behaviour is lower among older veterans [aged over 45] than in the general population. What we require now is continued public education to reduce any negative connotations with seeking help for mental health issues, as well as sustained funding for services for veterans.”

The Ministry of Defence has introduced a series of initiatives to encourage serving personnel to come forward if they fear they might be suffering from trauma or the early stages of anxiety or depressive illness, and has committed £7m to improve support services.

Mental health of Iraq and Afghanistan reservists causes alarm

Tags

army, army reservists, civilian life, discharge, isolation, mental health issues, military personnel, needs, PTSD, risk, stigma, suicide, support, support networks, veterans, welfare

Mental health of Iraq and Afghanistan reservists causes alarm

Ministers must find more money to support thousands of army reservists as evidence grows that part-timers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to suffer from serious mental health illnesses than regular soldiers who served alongside them, two leading military charities are warning.

Amid concerns there will be a sharp increase in the overall number of veterans needing expert help over the next five years, the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress say the government must focus on the so-called “weekend warriors” who have become a mainstay of British military operations and will be used to cover deep cuts to the full-time army.

The charities say reserves who fought abroad in recent years are twice as likely to develop serious mental health issues, such at post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but they return to civilian life without proper support for themselves or their families.

The warning comes as some charities have reported a marked rise in the number of veterans coming to them needing help. At the start of a major series in the Guardian on the Iraq war, one former major general said he feared a “bow wave” of new cases would emerge over the next decade.

With the Ministry of Defence wanting to double the number of reservists to 30,000 over the next five years, Chris Simpkins, the director general of the Royal British Legion, and Commodore Andrew Cameron, chief executive of Combat Stress, said: “There is now a pressing need to seriously address the support requirements of reservists and their families.”

In an article for Comment is free, Simpkins and Cameron said: “We must work with the reservist community to raise awareness of mental health conditions and reduce the stigma associated with admitting to mental health issues … we are very clear that now is the time to develop resources, and we suggest that communities and health services that have increased numbers of reservists must receive more funds.”

Drawing on studies by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research, the charities say there is strong evidence to suggest reservists are more prone to mental health problems.

A five-year study of more than 500 reservists who served in Iraq showed they were twice as likely to get PTSD compared with regular soldiers. The report said reservists had “significantly elevated rates of common mental disorders” and warned that “rates of mental illness may continue to rise in the months and years after reservists have returned home”.

The charities say: “The reasons behind this increased risk aren’t fully known but … the differences between support networks for regulars and reservists may provide an answer.

“Unlike their colleagues in the regular forces, reservists do not have an extended period of time surrounded by their peers when they return home from duty, and often swiftly return to their civilian role, without the opportunity to share experiences with others who have served alongside them.

“These support networks are hugely important and the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress, alongside other armed forces charities, are working to minimise social isolation and improve integration between civilian and military life in the reservist community.”

Although UK forces pulled out of Iraq three years ago, and will have left Afghanistan by the end of next year, concern about the welfare of veterans is increasing, with some charities noting a sharp rise in referrals.

The most serious mental health problems, such at PTSD, often do not present themselves for a decade. Cameron said Combat Stress was still getting referrals from men who had served in Northern Ireland.

The charity registered a 29% increase in the number of Iraq war veterans it helped last year, bringing the total to 1,231. It is treating almost 500 Afghan war veterans – there was a 71% increase in the number of new referrals last year.

Major General Tim Cross, who served in Iraq, told the Guardian the problems faced by ex-servicemen would increase as the decade wore on. “I think we are building up. I’ve said for quite a while we [have] got a bow wave coming. PTSD on average takes about 11 years to really show,” he said. “A lot of the Falklands veterans have gone through really difficult times and they now say, I think it’s probably true, more Falklands guys have committed suicide than died during the campaign.”

A similar delayed reaction would happen with Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

The MoD has set aside £7.2m to improve services for veterans and the government has appointed Lord Ashcroft to conduct a review focusing on the needs of military personnel as they undergo the transition to civilian life.

According to MoD statistics, 964 service personnel were medically discharged in the past five years suffering from mental and behavioural disorders – the second most common cause for discharge.

Of these, only 195 were suffering with PTSD. Though officials say the prevalence of this condition within the armed forces is roughly the same as the general population, there is suspicion among charities, and veterans that this does not reflect the true extent of a problem that might take years to develop.

Professor Marilyn Flynn, an expert on mental health issues in the military, said there was little incentive for serving personnel to admit they may have a problem: “If you say you are not fine, you go into limbo. There is no incentive to admit you might have a problem. You are neither one thing or another. There is a tremendous incentive to say that you are fine.”

Cameron said: “Do we need to do more for veterans? Yes. Can we do more? Probably. Can the charities do it themselves? No. A broken arm is obvious and easy to treat. A broken mind is not.”