In Service Mental Health

[tucumseh]

31 January 2018

For Immediate Release:

NEW INQUIRY:

Armed forces AND VETERANS mENTAL HEALTH

The Defence Committee has today decided to hold an inquiry into armed forces personnel and veterans mental health.

The Committee will first examine the extent of mental health issues across both serving armed forces personnel and veterans and address the following questions:

· To what extent do current statistics accurately reflect the level of mental health issues in serving armed forces personnel and veterans, including PTSD?
· What are the challenges to accurately assessing the extent of mental health issues in serving armed forces personnel and veterans and how could government improve its understanding of those issues?
· How does the level of mental health issues, services and outcomes in serving armed forces personnel and veterans:

· What proportion of mental health issues in veterans is attributable to service in the Armed Forces and how well is this measured and understood?
· To what extent does the military environment for serving armed forces personnel mitigate against the development of mental health issues?

Subject to the Committee's findings on the extent of mental health issues, it will then examine the provision of mental health care across the UK to serving armed forces personnel and veterans.

Written submissions for this inquiry should be submitted via the inquiry page on the Defence Committee website. The deadline for written submissions is Tuesday 6 March 2018.