As part of measures to address stress and psychological issues and reduce suicides and fratricides in the force, the Army launched a study in August 2023 in collaboration with the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) to assess the mental health of troops and their families.
Another pilot project is being undertaken to gauge the mental well-being of military persons and their families, defence sources said.
The Army in its latest advisory issued in August 2023 stated that officers and religious teachers – at least one Pandit, Maulvi, Granthi or Pastor – are posted in each unit and selected other ranks are being trained on the nuances of counselling.
“A pilot project with a civil agency (Disha Kiran) is being undertaken at three nodal military stations to gauge the mental well-being of military persons and their families,” a defence source said on the psychometric assessment. The study, under the Discipline and Vigilance Directorate in collaboration with the DIPR through detailed questionnaires, is likely to be completed by the year-end, a defence source said.
The advisory issued gives out guidelines to address factors leading to increased stress levels, warning signs in individuals and intervention measures required at various levels, the source stated.
On various measures undertaken regularly in this regard, sources said 30 officers are trained at Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) every year and “Religious Teachers Counsellor Courses” are conducted for four weeks each at the Command Hospitals, Base Hospitals and Military Hospitals.
Unit Psychological Counsellor Course is conducted for 12 weeks for Junior Commissioned Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, the source cited above stated.
In addition, the Indian Army is also employing civilian counsellors in all major military stations to address the mental well-being of all ranks.
As part of efforts to build awareness, mental well-being seminars, financial management and domestic issues management programmes are conducted regularly by Subject Matter Experts. Helplines have been set up across all Command Headquarters to offer immediate counselling, sources stated.
“Psychiatry Centres have been established at all major military stations under the Directorate General of Medical Service. Stress management sessions are held at all military stations,” one of the sources said.
As per information given in Parliament in April 2022, there were two cases of fratricide each year from 2019 to 2021 and one case in 2021. In an older reply in Rajya Sabha on suspected suicide cases in the Army, the Government informed that during the years 2016 to 2018 there were 104, 75 and 80 cases, respectively.
In the latest incident of fratricide in early October 2023 involving an officer, a Major of a Rashtriya Rifles Units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir lobbed grenades and opened fire on personnel of his Unit. However, there ware no fatal casualties and the officer was overpowered after several hours and Inquiry is under way.
Suicides and fratricides are extreme acts undertaken by an individual due to high levels of stress, the first source said, adding that the stress is mainly caused due to domestic problems, family disputes, a sense of isolation and/ or dejection besides professional hazards.
For instance, a 2018 study correlated extended deployment to a 15% increased suicide risk in the U.S. military, the U.S. Department of Defence recorded 503 suicides among active-duty personnel in 2019, the source added noting that this was an issue faced by all major armies globally.
Common reasons that forces an individual to take extreme steps are family issues, family separation, prolonged deployment in difficult areas, continuous exposure to hazardous situations, traumas originated in Counter Insurgency or Counter Terrorism operations and a wide range of Human Resource management issues, the source explained.
On the broad measures that have been implemented over the years, the source listed out regular yoga, meditation, sports and recreation activities; liberalised leave policy; improvement of amenities in military stations; mutual buddy system for soldiers, an established procedure, and prompt grievance handling mechanism.
