Mental health risk for overstretched troops

British troops face escalating mental problems the longer they stay on frontline duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, a study claims.

Soldiers deployed for longer than 13 months in a three-year period are more likely to suffer symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, research by King's College London showed.

Over 5,500 combat personnel were surveyed and the findings, published in the British Medical Journal, showed Army personnel also suffer marital problems, alcoholism and greater psychological distress once they come home.

The report concluded: "Overstretch in the UK Armed Forces may have consequences on problems at home and deterioration of psychological health may be more apparent in those directly exposed to combat."

Psychiatry professor Matthew Hotopf said: "The principal conclusion was that if you go above a certain amount of deployments in a three-year period you are at greater risk of having mental health problems.

"There's a definite increase in things like post traumatic stress distress, anxiety and depression and alcohol problems."

The Ministry of Defence, which has "harmony guidelines" for the amount of time service personnel spend away from their families, said the overall rate of mental illness in the Armed Forces remains low.

Armed Forces Minister Derek Twigg said: "We have taken great steps to raise awareness and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. We are not pushing anything under the carpet."

Britain, which leads Nato forces in the lawless Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, currently has 7,100 troops there. This figure will rise to 7,800 in October. It has a further 5,500 troops in southern Iraq.

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