MP for Rochford and Southend East James Duddridge has asked for information on the mental health problems experienced by service men and women.
Tory MP Mr Duddridge wrote to the Secretary of State for Defence, asking: “what recent estimate he has made of the number of service personnel who are likely to experience long-term mental health problems.”
Mr Duddridge received a written answer from Kevan Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, which read:
“Less than 0.1 per cent. of regular service personnel are discharged annually for mental health reasons, whatever the cause.
“The King’s Centre for Mental Health Research is undertaking an MOD-funded study looking at the prevalence of mental health disorders in both serving and veteran personnel.
“This study will inform our mental health care policies when the results are available towards the beginning of next year.
“A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.”
Between 2003 and 2007, 10,000 British soldiers went absent without leave from the army.
In 2007, Panorama revealed soldiers who claim that AWOL incidents are caused by the British Army’s refusal to give compassionate leave to soldiers suffering from stress, shock or trauma.
[...] due to mental illness Following enquiries by Rochford and Southend East Conservative MP James Duddridge into the mental health problems of service men and women, fellow Tory MP David Amess has looked further into the [...]