News From the Cause
Protecting the mental health of the force (ARMY NEWS)
April 27, 2011
Soldiers take care of Soldiers. Period.
It doesn't matter whether it's a commander or noncommissioned officer keeping an eye on a young specialist, or two battle buddies watching out for each other. It doesn't matter if it's carrying a wounded comrade off a battlefield, or making sure a traumatized warrior gets the help he or she needs.
And that means that, "suicide prevention fits into what they do every day," said Col. Rebecca Porter, a clinical psychologist and chief of the Behavioral Health Division at the Office of the Surgeon General, especially because research shows that the earlier someone gets help, the better his or her chances of healing.
The Army suicide rate-despite programs and training in place and senior leader' efforts to reduce the stigma associated with seeking behavioral health care-has left many officials scratching their heads and asking, "Why?"
Porter believes that when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next releases the national suicide statistics, those numbers will show an increase in suicides across America, not just the Army. (2010 active-duty suicides actually dropped for the first time in several years to 156, down from 162 in 2009. However, reserve-component suicides almost doubled from 80 to 145.) Despite the availability of programs and training, and tireless efforts to eliminate the stigma associated with seeking behavioral health care, the numbers indicate these aren't just Army issues, but national ones.
Some young Soldiers have reported receiving mixed signals from their junior leaders when it comes to going to behavioral health, but Porter believes those platoon- and company-level leaders are acting out a misguided attempt to protect their Soldiers. That's not the message Army leaders want them to receive, however; they want to erase any stigma and eliminate even the best-intentioned obstacles to care.
Some senior leaders have themselves come forward after receiving behavioral health treatment. Maj. Gen. David Blackledge, the assistant deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, has undergone treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. He started experiencing flashbacks and nightmares after he was injured during two deployments to Iraq. Porter said Blackledge came forward to show young Soldiers they had nothing to fear.
"I think that's what's really encouraging...that the leadership...has taken this on as a responsibility for looking out for Soldiers, and returning to what Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli's task force report refers to as 'the art of garrison leadership,'" Porter said. click here to view more
