WGCDR
Tracy Smart
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A
grim reminder of what happened in Rwanda.
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Photo
by SGT Geoff Cox
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ALL
personnel involved in war activities are at risk of post-traumatic
stress disorder. A study of returned personnel from my contingent
in Rwanda (of whom 27 per cent were medical personnel) revealed
that most subjects had been exposed to potentially traumatic events,
such as seeing or handling dead bodies and fearing exposure to
a contagious disease, toxic agent or injury.
Six years after deployment, one in five were still experiencing
significant levels of distress, with symptoms of post-traumatic
stress disorder and a measurable impact on general psychological
wellbeing.
However, compared with infantry (who made up 30 per cent of the
sample), medical personnel reported lower levels of post-traumatic
stress-related symptoms and alcohol use – despite no differences
between the groups in their levels of traumatic exposure, either
in Rwanda or over their lifetimes.
Support strategies exist for helping us through the tough times
– our overall military training, medical screening before departure,
training with personnel from other services before deployment
to develop group cohesiveness, and a willingness to support each
other. The ADF has learnt from its experience.
There is now more focus on adequate preparation for deployment,
with appropriate training and medical and psychological screening.
There are improved mental health strategies before, during and
after deployment. Personnel are educated about the support available
and are encouraged to seek it.
