John Baron MP highlights reservists’ mental health risks

MP questions whether costings have been included in Army Reserve plans

During Defence Questions in the House of Commons today, John Baron MP raised the issue of reservists and mental health. A recent report by academics at King’s College, London,  states that reservists are twice as likely as their regular counterparts to develop Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) after deployment.

In the House of Commons, John asked,

“The charity ‘Combat Stress’ has highlighted a report that reservists are twice as likely to develop mental health issues as their regular counterparts. To what extent have these costs been factored into the Army Reserve plans?”

The Minister of State for Defence, Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, replied that the MoD did not recognise these figures – their evidence suggesting reservists only suffered a 1% – 1½ % increase over regulars.

Afterwards, John said,

“The Government’s defence reforms will see reservists used more often and on longer deployments than at present. The estimate from King’s College, London, that reservists are far more likely to suffer from PTSD needs to be explored carefully, and factored into costings as necessary.”

Ends

Word Count: 190

Date: 16^th December 2013

Notes to Editors:

• Details of the report can be found at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/plans-to-double-number-of-army-reserves-will-create-surge-in-mental-health-problems-8853288.html.