A day after a landmark study suggested a link between trauma on military deployments and risk of suicide, Canada鈥檚 veterans ombudsman says he believes suicides could be prevented by easing the transition from military to civilian life.
鈥淚 think a lot of these people are depressed because they鈥檙e leaving behind a family 鈥� and a way of life,鈥� Guy Parent Wednesday, speaking after attending a Remembrance Day ceremony at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa.
鈥淭o face the unknown, they need to be sure that there is something better coming to them,鈥� 鈥淲e can do that by ensuring they have a smooth transition, that they understand what is available and how they can actually access it.鈥�
Parent said 鈥渋t鈥檚 everybody鈥檚 responsibility鈥� to watch for the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but that even when mental illnesses are recognized, accessing services can be 鈥渇rustrating鈥� due to 鈥渟tringent eligibility criteria.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating for the people who are physically injured, so you can just imagine how frustrating it is for people who have invisible injuries.鈥�
Parent said he and Canadian Forces Ombudsman Gary Walbourne are working on their first-ever joint study, which will make recommendations to both the Canadian Forces and Veterans Affairs on how to ease transitions back to civilian life.
The and approved by the military鈥檚 Surgeon General, looked at all military suicides by males from 1995 to 2014. It found that incidents are not increasing, nor is there a statistically significant difference between the rates of death by suicide for military members versus civilians. (The study, however, did not include reservists or veterans.)
Still the study found a significantly higher suicide rate among those who had served in the Army, as opposed to the Air Force or Navy, and an even more pronounced risk among those who served in 鈥渃ombat arms roles.鈥�
鈥淒eployment-related trauma (especially that related to the mission in Afghanistan) and resulting mental disorders are plausible mechanisms for these associations,鈥� the report鈥檚 authors concluded.
Retired MCpl. Jody Mitic, who lost his legs when he stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan in 2007, and retired Sgt. Alannah Gilmore, who helped nurse him back to health before agreeing to be his wife, spoke to CTV Power Play about the issue.
Mitic said suicide never crossed his mind, but that he supports efforts to find out how best to 鈥渁void these tragedies.鈥�
Echoing Parent, Gilmore said she and Mitic experienced some 鈥渋solation鈥� after retiring from the military.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what happens with a lot of the families,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e gone from being part of a connected group to being separated, and you don鈥檛 get that support you would normally get if you鈥檙e still part of a unit.鈥�
Royal Canadian Legion Dominion President Tom Eagles told CTV News Channel that the government will need to take 鈥渁 strong look鈥� at what can be done to counter the mental health issues. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e just scratching at the surface with PTSD and within years to come I think it鈥檚 only going to get worse,鈥� he said.
The Liberal government has said it is committed to addressing PTSD and soldier suicide.
Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan said Wednesday that he and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance will make PTSD treatment one of their priorities.
Sajjan, a veteran of the Afghanistan and Bosnia Wars, said he personally knows soldiers and vets who have struggled with PTSD and other issues.
CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife that the Canadian Armed Forces have 鈥渃ome a long way鈥� in providing mental health services, but he wants to make sure they 鈥渃ontinue to evolve.鈥�
Interim opposition leader Rona Ambrose told Fife that she too had been personally affected by military suicide. Her brother鈥檚 partner, a female medic with the Princess Patricia鈥檚 Canadian Light Infantry, died by suicide.
The top Conservative said her government had 鈥渨orked so hard on this issue鈥� and that she is certain the new government 鈥渨ill do the same.鈥�
Ambrose said there 鈥渕uch work to be done,鈥� including research into why some soldiers are susceptible while others are 鈥渕ore resilient.鈥�
鈥淲e need to figure out what those things are, so that we can prepare our men and women when they go into battle,鈥� , 鈥渁nd support them after they come back.鈥�
