Soldiers often encouraged to fake their way through the post-deployment health screening

[The Straight Story]

Military facing obstacles to suicide prevention, report says

Military leadership has gone to great lengths to combat the increasingly worrisome suicide epidemic among troops and veterans, but there remain several obstacles preventing a significant reversal, according to a report released Monday by the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank.

The report, authored by the center’s Dr. Margaret Harrell and Nancy Berglass, lists more than a dozen such obstacles and offers suggestions toward overcoming them.

Much of the problem, it indicates, stems from the military’s inability to establish an open flow of information about a servicemember’s experiences and potential problems.

From the moment a servicemember returns home, it notes, they are often encouraged to fake their way through the post-deployment health screening. An honest answer to a question about traumatic experiences, one that might prompt further evaluation, could keep them from promptly reuniting with their families. But answering dishonestly makes it more difficult to link future mental health treatment to their military service.

Leaders must stress honesty, the report says.

http://www.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/stripes-central-1.8040/military-facing-obstacles-to-suicide-prevention-report-says-1.159468