Nearly 1 in 5 had mental illness before enlisting in Army, study says

[kpete]

Nearly 1 in 5 had mental illness before enlisting in Army, study says
The study raises questions about the military's screening of recruits. Another study looks at rising suicide rates among soldiers.

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. soldiers had a common mental illness, such as depression, panic disorder or ADHD, before enlisting in the Army, according to a new study that raises questions about the military's assessment and screening of recruits.

More than 8% of soldiers had thought about killing themselves and 1.1% had a past suicide attempt, researchers found from confidential surveys and interviews with 5,428 soldiers at Army installations across the country.

The findings, published online Monday in two papers in JAMA Psychiatry, point to a weakness in the recruiting process, experts said. Applicants are asked about their psychiatric histories, and those with certain disorders or past suicide attempts are generally barred from service.

"The question becomes, 'How did these guys get in the Army?'" said Ronald Kessler, a Harvard University sociologist who led one of the studies.




http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-me-army-mental-illness-20140304,0,3410236.story#ixzz2v0D28bYi

[unhappycamper]

1. During the early 2000s, waivers were how marginal folks got in the military.

Waivers for attempted suicides, waivers for criminal activity, wavers for tattoos, waivers for pretty much everything.

The United States military had gang-related problems in Germany in the middle 2000s.

..'How did these guys get in the Army?'" Good question.

[JJChambers]

2. ADHD is considered mental illness? Really?