Canada: Soldier suicides raise concerns about mental-health services in the military

Story here. Excerpt:

'OTTAWA — The government’s ability to help soldiers with mental illness came under scrutiny for a second day after three Canadian Forces members apparently committed suicide this week.

Opposition parties targeted the Conservative government in question period Friday over whether it’s doing enough to help struggling current and former soldiers.

NDP veterans affairs critic Peter Stoffer said he hopes the investigations into the deaths — launched as part of regular procedure — would be completed soon.

It can take up to five years to complete an investigation, although the military says results are often released after a year.

“That’s far too long. They should be able to work with these families very, very quickly to determine what happened and what can be done to prevent these in the future,” Stoffer said.
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Military ombudsman Pierre Daigle is taking a fifth look at the issue — this time focusing on reservists — following up on a series of critical reports dating back to 2002.

The ombudsman’s office noted the government made improvements and investments into the services it offers, but is still falling short.

Among the systematic problems are front-line mental-health workers struggling with too much work under difficult conditions.

Military statistics gathered between 1995 and 2009 show that every five years, about 50 active personnel commit suicide — a lower rate than the general population. Those numbers don’t include reservists.

The suicide rate among veterans is 1 1/2 times that of the general population, according to Statistics Canada.'