When the mission ends, the battle begins within!
My formative years were spent near an Army Cantonment in India, where I had a unique window into the lives of soldiers and veterans. As the daughter of the town's leading ENT surgeon, I often found myself in the company of soldiers, veterans, and army officers, witnessing their daily lives and challenges. Surprisingly, despite this close interaction with the military community, I never came across a single soldier grappling with PTSD, suicide or significant mental health issues due to their service or deployment assignments.
Later, while living and working in the United States, I met many veterans employed in private organisations who shared harrowing accounts of their deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. These personal encounters with veterans, hearing their stories of struggle and resilience, deeply impacted me and fuelled my interest in understanding the mental health challenges faced by soldiers.
This contrasted sharply with my experiences in India. Subsequently, living in Australia, I became aware of the declining numbers of individuals joining the armed forces and reserve units, alongside troubling reports of widespread mental health struggles among serving personnel and veterans.
The stark contrast between the emotional resilience of Indian Armed Forces personnel and the alarming rates of PTSD, mental health issues, including suicides, among soldiers in the USA, Australia, and other Western countries was a revelation that deeply affected me. This stark contrast compelled me to delve deeply into the cultural, operational, and systemic factors at play. I felt a strong need to identify solutions that could improve the conditions for Western soldiers and veterans. Let's start by looking at the data in the below table:
Statistics: The Mental Health Toll
Explanation of Data for PTSD & Suicide
USA: The Vietnam War, Gulf War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed significantly to high suicide and PTSD rates among American veterans.
Australia: Deployment in peacekeeping missions and prolonged conflicts has led to rising concerns, though the scale is smaller than in the US.
India: Suicides are often tied to non-combat stressors like poor working conditions or family disputes, with relatively low rates of PTSD due to the nature of operations and cultural resilience.
The psychological toll of war on soldiers is an undeniable reality, but its severity varies significantly across the globe. This disparity, particularly the disproportionately higher rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suicides among Western soldiers and veterans, is a crucial area that demands our attention. Understanding this disparity is an academic exercise and a vital step towards improving the conditions for soldiers and veterans worldwide.
Reasons for Joining the Armed Forces: Motivations vs. Reality
Soldiers often enlist with noble intentions: patriotism, service to the nation, a desire for adventure, or the pursuit of financial stability and career growth. However, for many Western soldiers, these motivations are shattered during service.
Deployments in morally ambiguous missions, prolonged exposure to civilian casualties, and participation in conflicts perceived as unjust (Adharmic) can leave Western soldiers disillusioned. The contrast between their ideals and the realities of war—often driven by political agendas or power and resource struggles—creates a cognitive and moral dissonance. This disillusionment is a breeding ground for PTSD and other mental health struggles.
A soldier's mind thrives on purpose; the war continues when that purpose is lost.
In contrast, Indian soldiers typically serve with a clear sense of purpose, often defending their nation against terrorism or external aggression. Their missions are seen as morally righteous (Dharmic), rooted in the defense of sovereignty and justice. This alignment between personal motivations and professional duties provides Indian soldiers with a sense of fulfilment, reducing the likelihood of mental health issues or moral injury.
Many people may dismiss or laugh off the fact that India has never invaded other countries for expansion, power, resources, or violent conquest. However, this distinction forms the core of Dharma, which guides the Indian Armed Forces. It is here, in this commitment to moral integrity, that the concept of "Moral Injury" emerges—where soldiers are deeply impacted by actions that conflict with their ethical and spiritual values; after all soldiers are humans!
The Role of Dharma vs. Moral Dilemma leading to PTSD & Suicide
Where duty aligns with Dharma, even war brings peace within.
In Indian philosophy, Dharma—the path of righteousness and moral duty—plays a central role. Indian soldiers often perceive their missions as aligned with Dharma, whether defending borders or combating terrorism. This moral clarity shields them from the psychological injuries that arise when one's actions conflict with personal ethics.
Western soldiers, however, frequently find themselves in ethically murky situations. Whether it's participating in wars like Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan or witnessing civilian casualties, these experiences can violate their moral compass, leading to "moral injury." This psychological wound, caused by the betrayal of deeply held values, is a significant contributor to PTSD and suicide.
Military Training and Cultural Conditioning
The conditioning and mindset instilled during military training differ markedly:
India: Indian military training takes a holistic approach, incorporating cultural and spiritual practices such as yoga, meditation, and teachings from texts like the Bhagavad Gita. These practices encourage mental resilience, detachment from outcomes, and a sense of duty without attachment, fostering a respectful and open-minded mindset.
Western Countries: Western armies strongly emphasise technological superiority and operational efficiency. Soldiers are also subjected to performance-enhancing drugs, supplements, and experimental medications to optimise physical capabilities. However, while these interventions may harden the body, they often neglect the mental and spiritual fortitude required for enduring the psychological impacts of war, prompting a critical awareness.
Resilience is not built with weapons and war but with clarity (understanding the mission and one's role in it), purpose (knowing why one is fighting and what they are fighting for), and honour (upholding the values and principles of the military and the nation).
Nature of Warfare and Operational Differences
The type of conflicts soldiers engage in profoundly influences their mental health:
Indian Armed Forces: Indian soldiers often participate in defensive operations, border protection, and counter-terrorism efforts. These missions are geographically and morally grounded, providing a clear understanding of their purpose and reducing exposure to prolonged, ethically ambiguous scenarios.
Western Armed Forces: Western soldiers are frequently deployed in foreign lands for extended periods, engaging in wars with unclear objectives. The prolonged exposure to danger, combined with the emotional burden of civilian casualties and public criticism back home, creates fertile ground for PTSD and other mental health issues.
Support Systems and Societal Integration
The reintegration of veterans into civilian life also reveals stark differences:
India: Indian society, with its close-knit family structures, offers a robust support system for returning soldiers. Veterans often find emotional refuge within their families and communities, which deeply respect the armed forces because societies & families are rooted in Dharma too.
Western Countries: Western veterans often face isolation, unemployment, and a lack of understanding from society as many aware citizens of Western countries do understand when wars are being fought for expansion, power or resources and do not agree with such wars and do not want to support soldiers participating & returning from such wars. Despite advanced healthcare systems, many veterans feel disconnected and purposeless, contributing to mental health struggles and higher suicide rates.
Use of Medicines and Experimental Drugs in Western Armies
Western armies often utilise performance-enhancing drugs, supplements, and experimental medications to optimise soldiers' physical endurance, alertness, and resilience in combat. For example, substances like amphetamines, sleep aids, and cognitive enhancers are sometimes administered to maintain operational efficiency during prolonged missions. While these practices can temporarily bolster physical performance, they may have adverse effects on mental health, potentially exacerbating long-term issues like depression, anxiety, or PTSD. In some cases, soldiers are even used as test subjects for experimental drugs, leading to unforeseen psychological consequences.
A soldier’s greatest strength is not just the body but the mind.
This reliance on pharmacological interventions may strengthen the body but leave the mind vulnerable to emotional and cognitive challenges, especially when soldiers transition back to civilian life without adequate mental health support.
Solutions and Reforms to Protect Western Soldiers and Veterans from PTSD, Suicide & Mental Health Issues
To address the alarming rates of suicide and PTSD among Western soldiers and veterans, a comprehensive and holistic approach is needed. The following reforms can pave the way for better mental health outcomes:
Align Military Missions with Ethical Clarity: Ensure that military operations are guided by clear, just & Dharmic objectives to reduce moral injury and foster a sense of purpose among soldiers. Wars for resources, power, expansion, control, fears are crime against humanity.
Incorporate Mental and Spiritual Resilience Training: Introduce self-awareness, meditation, and yoga practices during training to strengthen psychological well-being and equip soldiers to handle stress effectively.
Limit the Use of Experimental Drugs: Move away from reliance on performance-enhancing drugs, useless vaccines and experimental medications. Focus on natural methods to build physical and mental strength.
Increase Access to Comprehensive Mental Health Care: Provide easily accessible and confidential counselling services, peer support programs, and trauma therapy for both active personnel and veterans.
Improve Post-Service Reintegration: Create structured reintegration programs that offer career training, financial support, and community-building initiatives to help veterans transition smoothly into civilian life.
Foster Societal Awareness and Support: Launch public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma, highlight veterans’ struggles, and encourage community engagement with ex-service members. But this can be done successfully only when a country is not sending the soldiers to fight for greed of power & resources, more like a Corporate War than the War by a Nation for Peace & Justice. Otherwise in this globally connected world, it's not easy to shift the perception of the citizens of the country.
Monitor and Reduce Deployment Durations: Avoid overburdening soldiers with prolonged or repeated deployments, which can amplify stress and feelings of alienation.
Enhance Family Support Systems: Strengthen programs for soldiers' families, ensuring they receive counselling and support to help them understand and address the challenges faced by their loved ones.
Free Mental Health Online Course - Thriving Minds
A soldier's battle doesn't end with the war; saving their minds requires a new mission of understanding and support.
Instead of Stone Plaques, if faces were being used as Memorials, then the actual memorial of Western Soldiers may look like the one below:
Conclusion: Lessons for Building Resilience
The disparity in mental health outcomes between Western and Indian soldiers underscores the importance of purpose, cultural grounding, and support systems. Aligning missions with moral clarity, fostering mental resilience through training, and ensuring societal reintegration are critical steps in addressing the mental health crisis among soldiers.
Purpose protects; disillusionment destroys.
~ Prakriti
References:
Veteran Mental Health and Suicide Data: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides comprehensive data and analysis on mental health issues and suicide rates among veterans. Their annual report details trends and contributing factors, offering a solid basis for discussing mental health challenges in the military community. Source: Veterans Affairs & Suicide among Veterans
Australian Defence Force Mental Health Statistics: The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) publishes studies on mental health in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), including reports on PTSD prevalence and support mechanisms for veterans. These reports shed light on the unique challenges faced by Australian service members. Source: AIHW
Cross-National Comparisons of PTSD: Research from Monash University explores PTSD in different military contexts, providing insights into the experiences of Australian soldiers during conflicts and how cultural and historical factors impact mental health outcomes.Source: Monash Lens
Innovative Solutions in Mental Health Care: Stanford Medicine discusses emerging solutions in mental health care, focusing on innovative treatments, research, and reducing stigma. These insights are relevant for suggesting actionable solutions for soldiers and veterans.Source: Stanford Medicine
Mental Health Technology Transfer Centre Network:This network, funded by the U.S. government, highlights efforts to implement evidence-based mental health care across various populations, including veterans. It provides a practical framework for addressing mental health challenges through collaboration and innovation. Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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