USA Today (5/5, Zoroya) reports a “stinging” April report by the GAO found that even as troop suicides occur at record levels, the Pentagon has been unable to persuade servicemembers to seek mental help due to the fear that doing so will damage their career opportunities. The most recent survey of US troops found that little change from a 2011 survey that found 37% of active duty servicemembers – almost 600,000 – felt seeking help “would probably or definitely hurt their career.” One key problem, according to the report, is that many Defense Department policies regarding job assignments and security clearances “still discriminate against anyone who receives mental health care.”
Related Links:
— “Pentagon perpetuates stigma of mental health counseling, study says,” Gregg Zoroya, USA Today, May 5, 2016.