Mental Health Budget in the Canadian Military $50 Million

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Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Suicide claims more soldiers than those killed by Afghan combat

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson on Tuesday defended his government’s record on helping veterans, saying it boosted the mental health budget by $11 million a year, raising it to $50 million.

By: Bruce Campion-Smith Ottawa Bureau, Published on Tue Sep 16 2014

OTTAWA—Canada’s military is under pressure to do more to look after the mental health of its soldiers after new statistics show the armed forces have lost more personnel to suicide than those killed in combat in Afghanistan.

NDP MP Jack Harris said the “shocking” numbers should prompt the Conservative government to “redouble” its efforts to assist soldiers in need of help.

“It underscores the complaints that soldiers have been making, that families have been making, that this is a real problem that is not being fully addressed,” Harris said Tuesday in an interview.

The latest statistics from the defence department reveal 160 personnel have committed suicide between 2004 and March 31, 2014.

That compares to the 138 soldiers killed in combat between 2002 and 2014, when Canada’s Afghan mission formally ended.

The new numbers count not only suicide deaths by male regular forces members (118) but also suicides by female regular force personnel (10) and reservists (32). The department cautions that numbers can change year-to-year, as investigations conclude and the cause of death is formally determined.

Still, the new data came as a surprise to opposition MPs, who accused the government of “lowballing” past numbers to downplay the problem.

And they said the new statistics are evidence that the government should be doing more for military personnel, especially those Afghan veterans who have returned home suffering an operational stress injury.

“Will the minister now admit that there is a mental health crisis in the Canadian Forces and finally move to address it with the urgency that the soldiers deserve,” Harris said during question period.

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson defended his government’s record, saying it boosted the mental health budget by $11 million a year, raising it to $50 million.

“One death is too many, and this has been a priority for this government,” Nicholson said.

Liberal MP Frank Valeriote said the problems are even worse for veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“These men and women are neglected in the Canadian Forces and then completely abandoned as veterans,” he said in the Commons.

Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino rejected the accusation and said department staff are able to assist veterans.

“I encourage everyone, a veteran, their family or friends who think someone may be suffering from mental health conditions to seek the professional assistance they need right away,” Fantino said.