A study of all active-duty personnel found that service men and women were more likely to leave the service after treatment for a mental health condition rather than a physical ailment. The researchers, however, note that this outcome doesn't mean that the military is afflicted with mental disorders at a higher percentage that the rest of the population, but that it's evidence of the pervasiveness of mental disorders in contemporary society.
What kinds of disorders were the most prevalent?
Thirteen percent of 1.5 million hospitalizations studied included a mental disorder diagnosis, which was the primary diagnosis for most of the cases. The disorders, in order from most to least frequent, were:
Adjustment disorders involve an inability to deal with stressful events that are severe enough to get in the way normal life.
Why are these findings so significant?
The reason that this study is so interesting is that mental health problems appeared much more likely than physical ills to affect service members' ability to stay on the job. Almost 50 percent of soldiers hospitalized for a mental disorder left the service within a year, compared with just over 10 percent hospitalized for physical injuries.
The findings of the study highlight that mental disorders are a major public health problem. They are also a leading cause of occupational dysfunction, leading to job loss not only in the military, but also in the civilian population.
The fact that mental disorders have such an impact in the military, provides new evidence that mental illness is costly to society.
American Journal of Psychiatry 2002 September;159(9):1576-83
The military has always been integral to our society, but with our new focus on eliminating and avoiding terrorism, their role is more important than ever. Reading news like that above, I find it quite sad that the natural medicine and energy psychology community has not yet networked into the military to provide them with solutions for most of the health challenges they face.
An optimized mental health strategy would do wonders to boost the military readiness of our country. It is bad enough that many in the military are forced to endure taking drugs that can kill them or the ones they love, but it is equally tragic that they do not have access to energy psychology techniques like EFT that are highly effective at eliminating depression, drug, alcohol and other addictive disorders, and stress-related disorders. Indeed, not only would it help those who currently depart the service for such disorders, but using techniques like EFT would provide greater energy, sense of purpose and overall positive emotions for those soldiers who remain.
If you have any family or friends in the military -- or other protective services, such as police forces -- please pass them this article and encourage them to download my free and recently updated EFT Manual. This manual provides an introduction on how to use the simple but highly effective energy psychology method that I highly recommend called "Emotional Freedom Technique" to address their emotional challenges. If they want a more in-depth lesson on how to use EFT to eliminate depression, addictions, stress, or other negative emotions, and instead instill positive ones, I suggest checking out my newly enhanced EFT series on DVD or VHS.
If emotional problems seem severe, I also provide a list of EFT therapists that can be consulted on the phone. This treatment is every bit as effective by phone as it is in person for most people, so in the case of the military, leaving the base is not necessary. Most of the therapists also offer a free introductory discussion with the potential patient to ensure they feel comfortable and confident in engaging their services.