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More than ever before the U.S. Military is focusing more on the mental and psychological health of its Service members and employees by offering more resources and support.
Responding to an increased rate of suicide among Soldiers and civilians, the U.S. Army is working hard to keep its people healthy, not just physically, but mentally. Depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety, are all disorders that can affect any Service member or civilian. “It’s not occurring to just the enlisted, it’s crossing all segments: deployed, non-deployed, National Guard and Reserves,” said Sandra Class, White Sands Missile Range’s suicide prevention program manager.
One of the challenges of addressing problems that could lead to suicide is the stigma of seeking mental or psychological help, a stigma that may not be present in other lines of work. “There’s a different culture involved, with both the Army culture and the local culture,” Class said. Among Soldiers and civilian employees there’s often a concern that someone who seeks help will be considered weak, crazy or unfit for advancement or promotion.
With 2008 having the highest recorded suicide rate in the Army, Army leadership is working hard to better engage its personnel and make them aware of and explain the importance of mental and psychological health and the resources available to them. By making sure that personnel are aware of the risks and signs of illnesses such as depression, post traumatic stress and anxiety, they will be able to provide help to either themselves or another. “The key is that a co-worker won’t always go to a professional, they will usually go to a co-worker or friend,” Class said.
For those who are having problems, or know someone who is having problems, there are several different resources available.
On post, individuals can go to Army Community Services, McAfee Health Clinic, or the Chaplain’s office.
An anonymous on-line mental health self assessment is also available at: https://www.militarymentalhealth.org. The screening covers depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol abuse, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and adolescent depression.
The National Suicide Prevention hotline can be reached at 1-800-784-2433.
The National Suicide Prevention lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.
Military OneSource has a hotline at 1-800-342-9647, and can even schedule an appointment with a counselor online at www.militaryonesource.com.
Class advises anyone with a friend or co-worker who might be having suicidal thoughts, to get help for them by escorting them to a care provider and not to leave them alone. Class explained that once a person with mental or psychological problems receives help the counselors can help them recognize their problems and teach them coping methods. “We help them identify problems, like what they have control over and what they do not. We help them deal with their feelings and emotions and explore alternatives, such as referrals or even (something) as simple as suggesting they reduce their caffeine intake,” Class said.
The Army is currently conducting an extensive program to educate all its Soldiers and employees about suicide prevention. The first phases of this training have already taken place, with individuals attending training on suicide prevention as a group, and taking part in interactive media, and later receiving organization level training.
In addition to providing help to those that are thinking about suicide, organizations that recently had a particularly stressful event take place can also get help. Notifying Social Services located at McAfee will allow them to deploy a critical incident stress management team. “If there is a death in the family or workforce and it’s affecting the morale, they should get ahold of the Employee Assistance Program and they can host a critical incident stress management team that can come in and debrief the workforce,” Class said. The team can then evaluate the condition of the organization and determine what actions need to be taken to attempt to return the stress levels to their pre-incident levels. For more information on suicide prevention contact Sandra Class at 678-1957.
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