Psychologists ready to head off combatants' mental problems

By GREG ANSLEY Australia correspondent

CANBERRA - The Australian Defence Force has teams of psychologists ready to fly to the Gulf to head off the kinds of problems that hit veterans of Vietnam and the 1991 war against Iraq.

Defence mental health strategies were overhauled after the first Gulf War and gained further prominence yesterday as the Government released a study of the health of Australians who fought in that conflict.

Australians now at war are fighting far more intense battles than during the liberation of Kuwait, when Canberra's commitment was limited to warships patrolling the waters of the Gulf, and to teams of mine-clearance divers.

Since war began last week SAS patrols have been in combat well behind Iraqi lines, RAAF F/A-18 Hornets have been flying strike and escort missions, and Royal Australian Navy units have been bombarding enemy positions and boarding Iraqi ships near the strategic deep water port of Umm Qsar.

The Government study of 1991 veterans, done by Monash University occupational health specialist Professor Malcolm Sim, found no evidence of Gulf War syndrome, the condition that has reportedly affected about 275,000 members of the United Nations coalition forces.

Although no specific cause has been found, symptoms include hair and memory loss, skin rashes, chronic fatigue, headaches and muscle pain.

But the study found that Australians deployed to the Gulf were more likely to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health and respiratory problems than troops not sent to the Gulf.

They also suffered more numbness, weakness, tingling and other nerve problems, which Professor Sim said were genuine diagnosed illnesses and should not be treated as malingering.

Defence Force spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said yesterday that since the first Gulf War there had been outstanding and substantial changes to the way the Defence Force dealt with the mental health of its troops.

Extensive briefings were given before troops were deployed, detailing the specific threats and issues likely to be encountered, including threats from various weapons and the fears those weapons could engender.

Troops were also given written material advising the steps that should be taken if they felt symptoms or signs of mental problems, or noticed them in others.

Brigadier Hannan said the medical teams of most forces deployed overseas included psychologists able to deal with problems on the spot. "In cases where the forces are dispersed over very large areas and medical systems don't support it - such as this operation - we have fly-away teams of psychologists who are able to be deployed quickly with significant traumatic events or for specific problem areas as they arise," he said.

"In the area of operation, the commanders are highly sensitised to the need to maintain the mental health of their troops, and of course the medical system these days has a number of trip wires in it so that we can respond with good psychological care."

On return, troops were debriefed within 72 hours with follow-up screenings three to six months later.

Herald Feature: Iraq