Psychotherapy and counselling in the military environment: Issues and future challenges

The goal of the military services is to enforce the policies and treaties of their countries by the use of combat power or the threat of use of that power. Mental health support services are provided to ensure that military personnel and their family members are psychologically equipped to respond effectively to combat stressors as well as other occupational and family stressors associated with military service. Initially, the goal of mental health services in the military was selection and placement resulting in a good person-job match (Steege & Fritscher, 1991). Later, additional services for military personnel and their families emerged. These services can be categorized into three overlapping areas: (a) services for military personnel; (b) mission-related services and (c) services for families. Recognizing the impact of both the micro-context and macro-context in resolving soldiers’ problems is fundamental to successful individual counselling and psychotherapy with military personnel. Other forms of services that are used are group counselling and psychotherapy, and psychoeducational counselling related to stress management, suicide and other gender awareness and anger management. Mission related activities include command consultations, combat stress debriefings, command-directed referrals, and casualty support services. A number of services for military families are also considered essential (Fenell & Weinhold, 2003). This paper discusses issues which make psychological services in the military environment different from that for civilian populations and the future challenges in this sphere which face the military, specifically in the context of the Indian Armed Forces.