Psychiatric Disorder and Separation From Military Service: A 10-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract: Defense forces around the world are currently in high
demand, with sizable deployments in recent years to the
Middle East and other areas of conflict. Pressure to maintain operation-ready forces has resulted in increased interest in factors associated with premature separation from service. Mental health is a key area for consideration. Studies of U.S. and British military personnel report strong associations between psychiatric morbidity and subsequent departure from service. About 70% of personnel receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment separate from service within 2 years, whereas 27% of those treated as outpatients leave within 6 months (1–3). Those studies, however, only considered personnel undergoing treatment. Two studies suggest not only that significant psychiatric morbidity is apparent among service personnel but also that about half of those meeting criteria for a psychiatric disorder choose not to seek treatment (4, 5). To our knowledge, no research to date has explored the relationship between mental health status and departure from the armed forces in a large representative sample. The current study investigated relationships between psychiatric symptom onset and separation, regardless of treatment status, in a sample of Royal Australian Navy personnel
from 1991 to 2001.