Detainee guards face mental-health risks

[unhappycamper]

The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery says findings show that sailors working in military prisons in the Middle East are at increased risk for psychological problems compared with other sailors deployed in the war zones.


Detainee guards face mental-health risks
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 16, 2009 16:15:37 EST

Sailors working in military prisons in the Middle East are at an increased risk for psychological problems compared with other sailors deployed in the war zones, Navy medical officials say.

The findings by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery show higher rates of anxiety, depression and sleeping problems among the detainee guards, according to a series of studies that began in 2007.

That has prompted Navy leaders to add personnel to those units in an effort to reduce individual sailors’ workloads and stress. The Navy also decided to prohibit sailors from extending their individual augmentee deployments because the mission is considered too stressful.

“The detainee guard role is one where you are always in front of, face to face with someone who doesn’t like you and will take every opportunity to be disrespectful and disparaging,” said Rear Adm. Karen Flaherty, BuMed’s deputy chief for health care operations.

BuMed mental health experts said the findings were unexpected and illustrate that traditional combat may not be the primary cause of psychological stress.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/11/navy_guard_health_111609w/