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AUSTRALIAN troops could soon have to undergo annual psychological tests to help reduce the chances of them committing suicide.
The head of the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) directorate of mental health, Group Captain Leonard Lambeth, said today plans were in place to improve ways personnel were monitored for psychological problems, especially those returning from dangerous missions overseas.
The extra psychological tests would be included in annual health checks carried out on all ADF personnel.
Group Captain Lambeth's comments came as he appeared before the board of inquiry into the shooting death of Pte Kovco in Baghdad. Pte Kovco was shot in the head with his own 9mm Browning pistol while in the tiny barracks room he shared with two soldier mates on April 21.
Group Captain Lambeth said annual psychological checks were "absolutely essential if we are going to take mental health seriously". "We are very hopeful of introducing into annual health assessments further psychological screening," he said.
"I see this as being an absolutely essential component of the delivery of mental health (services) ... over a period of time for ADF members. "Even then things won't be perfect but I believe this is the way we should go."
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Now this next bit makes me laugh a little, because what they think is happening, and what is occuring, are two very different things. A soldier tells them what they want to hear, and within 2 - 5 minutes, is done, hence the majority of soldiers slipping through the system, because they don't understand that something like PTSD has avoidance and denial symptoms.
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He said defence personnel were already given suicide awareness training and psychological screening tests after they return from overseas deployment missions.
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The rest of the story I ditched, because they turned it into some crap about how to identify bodies so mistakes like the recent soldier who's body was confused, doesn't occur again. Get serious, the military has more important things to do. That is a doctors job, not every soldiers job. F*cken politicians and political bullshit in the higher ranks of military services.
Source: News.com.au
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