The Indian Armed Forces are epitomized in terms of great courage, great discipline, and great sacrifice. However, under the invincibility of the institution lies an increasing crisis that needs to be addressed. Being a global problem, the condition of mental health in soldiers of India has remained at a boiling point over the past few years. From growing suicide rates to fratricide incidents, a serious mental health crisis in Indian Armed Forces must be addressed without delay.
Alarming statistics and growing concerns
The figures of suicide and mental health patients in the Indian army are just shocking. Within the last decade, the Indian military personnel witnessed a rapid surge in suicide cases. According to the 2020 report, around 819 Indian soldiers killed themselves during that year, of which most belonged to the Army. This is the level of seriousness of the problem: on an average, a soldier kills himself every alternate day.
Around 1,100 soldiers committed suicide in the same decade from 2010 and 2019; however, with soldiers of the Army that made up most of the Indian forces, there were more serious reasons for apprehension among one and all due to a rapid rise in cases of suicide over the last many years.
Whereas the most tragic end is suicide, mental health issues do not lie there. Soldiers are subject to extreme levels of stress, depression, and anxiety, which severely affects their field performance as well as well-being.
Causes for the Crisis
There are various factors which have led to the surge in the Indian Armed Forces’ mental health crisis with many reasons contributing to the state of distress among personnel:
- Operational Stress and Combat Exposure: Indian soldiers are always posted in hot zones, including Kashmir, the Northeast, and districts affected by insurgency and terrorism. These deployments put soldiers at great psychological risk, leading to what is known as Operational Stress Injury (OSI). Prolonged exposure to hostile environments, combined with the trauma of witnessing death and destruction, severely affects mental health.
- Separation from Families: Separation from loved ones is one of the most significant stressors military personnel experiences. For soldiers, the extended separation means months or even years of time spent away from their families. This, therefore, contributes to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and emotional stress.
- Stigma and Lack of Support: The biggest stumbling block towards enhancing things regarding the mental health scenario in the armed forces is that of stigma regarding those suffering from mental issues. Most of the soldiers are wary of being referred to as being weak and unable to serve on duty. Not to forget that there is absolutely inadequate mental health services provided through the armed forces, nor can most people quickly get the urgent counseling needed either.
- Brother Kills Brother: Psychological Disorders: Mental illness has also resulted in fratricides, where army personnel kill other personnel of the army. As of 2023 research, it is mentioned that mental stress had dominated the statistics regarding many cases of fratricides in Indian Defence Forces. Stress and isolated lives with mental ailments that armed persons are facing, may prove devastating.
Comparing with Other Nations and Generalized Scenario
Mental health in the armed forces is a pan-global issue, rather than an India-centric one. From the point of the United States Department of Defense, the institution demonstrates an alarming number of suicides. This number, from 2020, already stood at above 500 individuals who served with the active services. Similarly in the United Kingdom, the rising numbers have got veterans’ suicide rate so much that it becomes an obligation upon the government, other than beginning special services of mental health of the military force.
But at an institutional level, India’s forces are much way behind when tackling mental health. Most militaries all over the globe, especially America and Britain, have gone long in strides by bettering care on mental conditions by spending more money into the programs dealing with mental conditions, peer support was set, and confidentiality has always been accorded to counseling by soldiers. These programs have served to reduce stigma around mental health and helped the staff cope with stress and trauma.
Recent Trends in India
While some effort has been seen coming from the Indian government and military in the recent past, efforts remain far too insufficient. Recently, the Indian Army has initiated counseling centers and stress management workshops for reducing psychological burdens on soldiers, and these are a part of a greater effort to establish integration of mental health into broader healthcare systems within the armed forces. However, experts feel much more needs to be done.
In response to growing public outcry, the National Human Rights Commission into 2024 conducted an investigation on the mental health of military servicemen while citing that it is at a point where a family was proving to truly need complete transformation and reformation in terms of mental care. In that sense, it is something that is considered a step in the right direction by most, but for many, it just begins.
The Way Forward: Call to Action
To grapple with this mental health crisis in the Indian Armed Forces, a multi-pronged approach is the need of the hour:
- Holistic Mental Health Care Support: To expand mental health care facilities within the military is the need of the hour. This would range from counselling centres to mental health professionals to routine psychological tests for soldiers.
- Break Stigmas: There is a need for a culture change in the armed forces to de-stigmatize mental health issues. Leadership from all ranks needs to lead by example by discussing their mental health openly, which makes those below them feel at ease when they need some time off to consult a professional.
- Long-Term Support Programs: In addition to the direct mental health services, there is a need for long-term programs that will facilitate the reintegration of soldiers back into civilian life after serving. These programs should include career counseling, financial planning, and continued access to mental health care.
- International Cooperation: To move forward, India can draw inspiration from other international militaries, learn the best practices of the US and UK armadas, where Mental Health is finding increased importance in the military machinery.
Conclusion
The rising mental health crisis in the Indian Armed Forces is not a national issue, but a need for international concern. It’s now no time to waste. What’s left to be done is minuscule in comparison. The system still lacks a firmer, systemic effort to arm its soldiers with much-needed help instead of increased services of just a band-aid nature regarding incidents of stress-related occurrences and unaddressed mental health concerns-such as suicidal rates-. For the men and women serving and providing for this country should be looked after in exactly the same manner as they lovingly devote all their care and attention to its security.