Mental Health in the Navy

Common mental health ailments afflicting the Navy and our country's response...

mental health in the navy

Navy mental health professionals usually don’t treat the same type of severe trauma injuries as those working on the ground in combat zones. Instead, those on ships often have situation-based issues, situations common to living, working, and socializing twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, month after month, in tight quarters, with other sailors.

Most enlisted sailors are young and away from home for the first time. They share small rooms, showers, and bathrooms. The work is hard, days are long, and they are required to obey orders quickly without asking questions. Orders that seem contradictory or unclear cause frustration - leading to anger. Poorly managed anger leads to headaches and sleep problems, problems getting along with others, and eventually can develop into depression.

The impact of fear

Fear also starts to weigh on sailors’ emotions. They fear for the well being of families back home, for their own safety, and for their inability to maintain the grueling schedule of ship life. Unchecked fear leads to more anger, and anxiety (see Anxiety).

Depression, anger, and anxiety, poorly managed, trigger feelings of low self-esteem, low self-worth, and can lead to problematic behavioral issues.

These emotional issues are not instigated by severe mental illness, but by placing normal people in extraordinary circumstances, within extreme conditions, and under high pressure. And these issues are usually resolved by only two to three visits with a ship's mental health professional.

How can a mental health professional help?

Mental health professionals provide solution-based interventions to help sailors develop concrete ways to handle and cope with the demands caused by life aboard ships. These solutions range from having sailors identify and write down situations that cause anger, to teaching deep breathing and relaxation techniques, to developing a physical exercise program. Mental health professionals also run groups on the ships, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or groups that teach relaxation techniques.

Onboard psychologists also work with the ship's captain and other leaders to reassign a sailor to another work position, if warranted, or to remove a sailor from the ship for more intensive therapy. These mental health professionals also serve as consultants to the ship's leadership for placing qualified crew members in positions requiring a high degree of maturity and responsibility.

The role of mental health professionals on Navy ships is highly valued, and seen as imperative, especially with eight years of war, long deployments, and President Barak Obama's increased commitment in Afghanistan announced in December 2009. Fewer sailors leave ships for emotional and behavioral disorders when mental health professionals are onboard, according to the Navy.

And mental health professionals talk positively about the advantages of working and living on a ship with their entire population of patients. They get to witness firsthand the efficacy of their interventions on their patients’ everyday lives.

Military hospitals and installations in the U.S., and overseas, also hire Navy mental health professionals. And because of the increasing demand for those with strong backgrounds in the field, the government contracts with nonprofit organizations to provide mental health care for service members.

If you are interested in working in the mental health field, as part of the Navy, or with a nonprofit company, get started with a degree in psychology. For more information, contact schools offering programs in psychology.