The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
136.
AM Pocock set
out the six-step process defined by the MOD’s Operational
Stress
Management
Policy and highlighted the role of decompression as one element
of
step 5 (post-operational
recovery). Work to evaluate the effectiveness of
decompression
was under
way.
137.
In July 2007,
AM Pocock advised Gen Granville-Chapman that, following
the
2005 OROSM
review, the MOD’s policy on operational stress management was
“both
comprehensive
and robust”.96
The MOD had
now undertaken an analysis within the
three
Services and the Civil Service of how much training for operational
stress was
available
and how effective it was. This “gap analysis” indicated that the
three Services
“already do
much to address [operational stress management] training needs”. A
bid for
resources
to plug the gaps, including the wider implementation of the Royal
Marines’
Trauma Risk
Management programme proposed by the Army, would be
submitted.
138.
In 2008, the
Armed Forces rolled out Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) in
all
139.
Lt Gen
Lillywhite described TRiM as a form of debriefing after a traumatic
event,98
but
undertaken in peer groups rather than by an external counsellor.
The person who
was leading
the debriefing was taught to identify whether their colleagues were
under
stress and
might need referral elsewhere.99
140.
Further
reports from the King’s Centre study in 2009 and 2010 reported
that:
•
There was
no increase in mental health problems in Regular Personnel
serving
in Iraq or
Afghanistan, compared with Regular Personnel not deployed to
Iraq
or Afghanistan.
•
The rate of
symptoms of PTSD remained “relatively low” among
Regular
Personnel
deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan; estimates ranged between 1.3
and
4.8 percent
following deployment. The rate of symptoms of PTSD in the
general
UK
population was approximately 3 percent.
•
Between 16
and 20 percent of Regular Personnel reported common
mental
disorders,
such as depression and anxiety. This was similar to the rate in
the
general UK
population.
96
Minute
DCDS(Pers) to VCDS, July 2007, ‘Decompression’.
97
Seventh
Report from the House of Commons Defence Committee, Session
2010-2012, The
Armed
Forces
Covenant in Action?, HC
762.
98
Traumatic
events might include sudden death, serious injury, near misses and
overwhelming distress
when
dealing with disaster relief and body handling.
99
Public
hearing, 20 July 2010, pages 56-57.
66