UK Armed Forces Mental Health Statistics 23/24: Progress and Concerns
There has been a major shift in society towards mental health. Over the last decade, after the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the understanding of mental health. This has helped widen the conversation around mental illness, making it more acceptable for those suffering to seek help, learn to cope and find suitable treatment for recovery.
This blog highlights an analysis of the UK Armed Forces’ latest mental health statistics.
Increase in service personnel reporting mental health concerns
The statistics published by the MOD on 11 July 2024 show an increase in service personnel reporting mental health related concerns over the last ten years.
This aligns with the UK general population who are also reporting mental health concerns to their GPs.
The percentage of service personnel seeking help was 13% in 2023/2024 which remained consistent with the previous year, which was slightly higher at 13.2% in 2022/2023.
The MOD statistics show that one in 50 (2%) of UK Armed Forces personnel were assessed with a mental health disorder in 2023/2024.
Royal Navy and Royal Air Force
The statistics demonstrate a significant increase in service personnel in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force seeking mental health support from their medical officer. There also seems to be an increase in females reporting mental health related concerns and utilising the medical health resources in comparison to male service personnel.
For the Royal Navy, the statistics show that:
- One in seven (14.8%) Royal Navy personnel were seen in military healthcare for a mental health related reason in 2023/2024.
- One in 42 (2.4%) Royal Navy personnel were seen by a specialist mental health clinician for a mental health disorder in 2023/2024.
The Royal Navy in particular were significantly higher than the other services which is unusual.
For the Royal Air Force, the statistics show that:
- One in seven (14.9%) RAF personnel were seen in military healthcare for mental health related reason in 2023/2024.
- One in 55 (1.8%) RAF personnel were seen by a specialist mental health clinician for a mental disorder in 2023/2024.
Potential reasons for higher rates in the Navy and RAF
It is difficult to ascertain the real reason why this is, it could be related to the roles of unique-stressors at sea or in the air compared to land-based roles in the other services. Research suggests that the MOD has been under a lot of criticism over its culture of harassment and discrimination against women, which BBK has also reported on previously.
Royal Marines
In terms of the Royal Marines, the statistics show this service had significantly lower rates of personnel seen in military healthcare for mental health related reasons compared to the other three services.
Whilst the MOD’s response to this is that ‘The Royal Marines undergo rigorous training to ensure only the ‘elite’ go forward as Royal Marines (thus the selection process removes those that may be more susceptible to mental health problems). The tight unit cohesion that exists amongst the elite forces further supports the ‘healthy worker’ effort (personal communication with Def Prof Mental Health) and may also influence the lower rates of mental health in this service. In addition, high levels of preparedness may serve to lessen the impact of operational deployment experiences on mental ill-health among the Royal Marines.’
Again, it is difficult to ascertain whether the selection process and unit cohesion of the Marines impact personnel using mental health services without having an independent review. In the news recently, a Corner found that there were mental health failings which contributed to a Royal Marine’s death in basic training.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
This year’s statistics are headlined with a reduced rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at around two in 1,000 personnel.
In 2023/2024, PTSD was the only disorder with significantly higher rates (34% increased risk) among those previously deployed than those not deployed.
The MOD suspects this is related to historical operational deployments in Iraq and/or Afghanistan which previously increased the risk for mental disorder amongst those deployed. A concern with this statistic is that it does not consider the reality of how long it takes to receive a diagnosis of PTSD. Unfortunately, many service personnel or veterans are not aware of the significance of their symptoms or injury until much later. This could impact the reason as to why this statistic for PTSD is low.
Concerns
- Potential under reporting – Whilst service personnel are utilising the mental health resources, and the figures are increasing, it is still possible that mental health issues are being under reported due to the stigma around mental health. Military personnel may be discouraged from reporting concerns regarding mental health due to the impact it could have on military careers.
- Limited specialist care – The rate of personnel requiring specialist mental health services in 2023/2024 was one in 50 (2%). This is lower than the previous year of one in 45 (2.2%). However, it shows that there consistently remains a growing demand for a specialist service to address ongoing mental health issues and more complex conditions.
Conclusion
Whilst there has been a shift in society towards mental health, this is slowly being implemented within the military today. Overall, the statistics provide a positive trend in service personnel using military healthcare services for mental health. In the past, the military culture has promoted for service personnel to be able to handle their problems on their own. This leads to a risk of potential under-reporting and limited access to specialist mental health care support. The MOD should prioritise initiatives to address mental health stigma, ensure accessibility of mental health services throughout the services, and support personnel dealing with mental health challenges.