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Nearly 1 in 4 active duty members showed signs of a mental health condition, according to a 2014 study in JAMA Psychiatry. On this page we focus on questions that military personnel often ask, concerning treatment resources, disclosure and staying healthy during the transition to civilian life. If you are having thoughts of suicide, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 by dialing 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1.
There are three primary mental health concerns that you may encounter serving in the military.
Service men and women owe it to their fellow service members to stay in good mental as well as physical health. If you’re concerned about a possible mental health condition—or if you enter the armed forces with a past or present mental health condition—know that the armed forces do not require service members to disclose mental health problems to their chain of command. The responsibility for deciding whether to disclose your condition does fall on the medical officers and care providers you consult. They receive training on military policies concerning the confidentiality of protected health information (PHI). Here are some people to consider speaking with.
Military personnel have always taken care of their physical health, but in today’s armed forces, mental health is equally essential to mission success. The military has changed many of its policies in recent years to encourage better mental health. The Department of Defense acknowledges that untreated mental health conditions pose a greater safety threat than mental health conditions for which you’re seeking treatment.
Under 2014 rules, talking to a doctor about your concerns, asking if you need a diagnosis, or seeking treatment does not affect your career. If your doctor needs to disclose your condition, your career is not at risk from this disclosure.
In addition, with changes to security clearance procedures, you no longer risk losing clearance by consulting a doctor. If you seek help for combat-related issues or receive marital counseling, you do not have to worry about “question 21” regarding treatment for mental or emotional conditions.
Untreated mental illness can, however, damage your career. If the symptoms are severe, your commanding officer may require duty limitations or recommend separation from the military for medical reasons.
Military records show that talking to a doctor is a good career move. According to a 2006 study in Military Medicine, 97% of personnel who sought mental health treatment did not experience any negative career impact. The same study showed that it’s risky to ignore a mental health condition. If it worsens, a commanding officer can require a mental health evaluation, which is much more damaging to your career. Among people who had command-directed evaluations, 39% had negative career impact.
Military Policy And Your Privacy
When you seek mental health care, your care provider will inform you that the Department of Defense follows the privacy guidelines set down by HIPAA and the Privacy Act. These guidelines ensure the privacy of your mental health records in most situations. If your care provider discovers that your mental health condition may endanger yourself, others or the mission, however, they are obligated to disclose this information to the chain of command.
Military policy states that care providers can only share certain information and only in those situations involving safety. The precise definition of those circumstances is different for each of the branches of the armed forces.
In the Army, for example, PHI policy states that information can only be released in situations involving an acute threat of harm to self, others or mission; upon admission or discharge from inpatient hospitalization; when entering formal substance abuse treatment; and when enrolling in personnel reliability programs.
If a medical officer or military care provider observes that your health condition poses a danger, the officer will share your medical profile with commanding officers. The information they are allowed to share includes your diagnosis and the medically recommended duty limitations. Unit commanders will decide what duties to assign you until your condition improves.
You can avoid situations requiring disclosure by discussing your concerns with providers when they first arise. Ignoring symptoms may allow them to worsen. A mental health condition may affect only you at first, but if your condition doesn’t improve, your ability to perform your duties may suffer.
If commanders or supervisors observe behaviors that appear to compromise safety or job performance, they can request a command-directed behavioral health evaluation. A command-directed evaluation doesn’t guarantee as much confidentiality as a medical consultation you seek yourself.
Strengthening our fighting forces is a group effort. If you’re concerned about a friend or colleague, the most important thing you can do is to ask how they’re doing and to listen without judgment. The symptoms of a mental health condition can sometimes make individuals forget that mission success relies on staying healthy in mind as well as body. They might not realize that their worries are symptoms of mental illness. Listen patiently, offer encouragement and remind them that anyone can develop these symptoms, from privates to generals.
Remind your fellow warrior that the central mission of the armed forces is to maintain a strong fighting force. Share the information here with him or her. Emphasize that talking to a counselor or medical officer won’t hurt career or security clearance, and that every service member has a duty to build resilience by seeking advice and treatment when it’s indicated.
If someone you know tells you about a mental health concern, don’t laugh it off or promise it will get better on its own, even if you want to comfort the person. The stresses of deployment and military life put soldiers at risk for mental illness and make treating them more complicated. The military medical system can’t succeed in its mission to “restore the fighting force” without the help of all personnel to encourage treating mental health conditions swiftly before they can worsen.
For more advice, recommend that your friend call the completely confidential counselors at Military One Source (1-800-342-9647).
Returning to civilian life can be a time of joy, but also a time of emotional upheaval. Your experiences in the service may have changed the way you look at life. You may have new abilities, new friendships or new concerns.
If you were in combat or similarly stressful situations, it’s possible some of the habits that helped you stay strong during traumatic events will be less useful in civilian life. Keeping strong in civilian life might require developing new habits. You may also be at increased risk of PTSD and other symptoms that your brain is recovering from trauma.
Some veterans find they miss the structure that the military life provides. Some miss feeling a sense of purpose in their daily work. Others may feel isolated because civilians don’t understand the experience of serving. The memories of your experiences also may take time to deal with.
Remember that readjusting takes time. Give yourself opportunities to maintain your physical and mental health during the transition. At NAMI, we understand the questions facing many service members when they return to civilian life. We’re here to help. Check out your local NAMI Affiliate to see if it offers a support program for returning vets.
Here are some important tips and suggestions for maintaining a strong body and mind: