Mental Health
Forced military service causes or accelerates mental health problems. In many the traumatic experiences of forced service leave deep psychological scars that are hard to heal.
Conscription Leaves Lasting Psychological Scars
A testament to the great evil of conscription may well be its mental health impact. Army sets so many profound changes to one’s life, that the effects must naturally permeate the mental state of the individual burdened by conscription. Yet it often goes unnoticed due to the propagandistic focus on the supposed discipline, fortitude, valor, loyalty, honor and courage enhancement. Reality is far more bleak than recruitment posters.
In Turkey, conscripts have a notably higher prevalence of depressive symptoms of 30%. They far surpass rates seen in non-military populations in Turkey. This spike in depression comes down to the difficulties of adjusting to a dramatically different environment, strict disciplinary measures, and a demanding physical workload.
In Estonia, mental health issues, particularly depression, surged among conscripts as their service dragged on. Depression prevalence climbed from 32% in the first phase of service to 37% by the third, signalling a sharp decline in mental well-being over time. Both these values were way above the depression rates seen in the civilian population. The data also pointed to rising anxiety levels, likely tied to the immense stress and adjustment challenges that come with conscription. Panic disorder and agoraphobia, even though not as widespread in conscript nor civilian population, intensified in their distress as service draged on. Furthermore, nearly a fifth of the conscripts had worsened symptoms over time. Interestingly some decrease in social phobia was observed likely as a result of a constant exposure to the same peers.
The study itself provides extensive insight into the differences between voluntary and compulsory military service in that aspect:
“Interestingly, the conscripts who joined the service voluntarily reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression as compared to those who entered service after receiving their call-up notice. A possible explanation for this may be due to the perceived control over the situation. A voluntary application provides an opportunity for choosing the time for completing the service, whereas being called up means entering the service on the terms determined by the Defence Resources Agency. Additional promotion for the option of joining the service on one’s own application could be beneficial for both parties.”
Freedom is proven essential for improving mental aspect of military service, and ensuring the benefits of recruit self-selection.
Data from the Norwegian Army reveal a significant number of soldiers being discharged for psychiatric reasons during their mandatory 12-month service. This is happening despite comprehensive medical screenings conducted both one year prior to service and again at the time of enrollment. The figures raise serious questions about the effectiveness of these screenings and the mental health challenges facing soldiers. The researchers write:
“a description of the recruit emerges: He is a common Norwegian boy in all dimensions, except for his health, which is better than average.” This is [somewhat] true [but] least true in the matter of mental health. In the 1989 cohort of 31 000 eligible Norwegian males, 4.8 % were dismissed with a psychiatric diagnosis before, or at enrolment. In addition, most conscripts with low intellectual capacity were transferred to the civil defence. Among the 18 000 eventually enrolled in the army, a further 3.8% were discharged with psychiatric diagnoses during their period of service and 1.6 % were given a psychiatric diagnosis without being dismissed. Psychiatric diagnoses accounted for 56 % of all medical dismissals during the service. Thus, a large number of recruits with symptoms of mental disease had been excluded from the study population before the present survey began. (…) the findings of the present study, together with the generally high incidence of psychiatric diagnoses indicated that military service in the army puts a considerable strain of many young men.”
The evidence of the terrifying pattern in conscription is not surprising. What are the underlying causes intrinsic in the unwilling army, that manifest themselves here? The first factor is the inherently perverse social relations. Everyday life in military camps revolves around interactions with officers and fellow conscripts. When it comes to the commanders in charge they are often barely any older or more experienced than the conscripts themselves. These “leaders” have little competence in mitigating the complex interpersonal and existential problems that inevitably arise.
Psychological stress also arises as young men struggle to adapt to the close presence of fellow conscripts. The forced cohabitation can go astray in an abundance of ways. Whether that is more pro-active hazing and outright bullying or passive indifference, exclusion and just desolate loneliness, the mental toll paid can potentially be massive, and thus the mere possibility of this will put stress on new recruits.
Those conscripts have a just frustration over the absence of close personal friends, family and colleagues in their lives, replaced with the “love” they receive from the state in the harsh drills and heartless orders. The psychological struggles are particularly exacerbated by separation from romantic partners and the inability to return home regularly.
Particularly relevant to the analysis is Erving Goffman’s concept of the “total institution”. Under this paradigm during conscription control and intimacy collide in overwhelming doses. There is no escape from the vicinity of your peers whether they are angels or demons. There is no privacy to be had even in one’s own bed. There is just forced survival. Mental health predictably takes a toll.
There is also the compulsion dimension to the mental health impact: it’s obligatory nature, forces conscripts to submit to inflexible authority. Initial motivation quickly fades, in Norway half of the conscripts who where enthusiastic about the military at the outset, lost their positive outlook.50 As waves of disillusionment spread through the ranks they take a heavy toll, creating a passive and hostile atmosphere. Conscripts simply experience personal regression rather than growth. Even if they cannot express their frustration in a coherent philosophical argument against conscription, they subconsciously feel an ethically justified anger. The brighter the mind the greater it must be.
The third dimension is meaning or rather the lack of it. When daily tasks feel irrelevant, soldiers lose motivation and a sense of self-worth. Meaning is essential for human resilience and so, if soldiers don’t see the point in their duties, they won’t derive any satisfaction or purpose from their work. In another Norwegian study, half of the conscripts reported enjoying daily activities less than usual, and one-third felt that their contributions were pointless. For many, military life is a mental drain, not a fulfilling challenge. Conscription takes away the very essence of life, which is the pursuit of one’s own values.
Lastly the financial abuse aspect of conscription plays its role as well. The gruelling wages paid to conscripts, are sufficiently exploitative to have na impact on their mental well-being. Conscripts face financial struggles, desperately trying to make ends meet, while being compelled to do what is, in many cases, the most physically demanding job any man in their country is expected to perform. One couldn’t concoct a more glaring example of injustice, if one tried.
Again even a pure cynic, indifferent to the suffering and pain of countless individuals, has to see the rather obvious consequences for military efficiency. Psychological discontent isn’t just bad for morale, it undermines soldiers’ motivation to learn the skills and adopt the necessary attitudes. If nearly 50% of conscripts are experiencing mental distress at various points during their training, that struggle doesn’t just stay in the background. It impacts readiness, performance, and the overall effectiveness of the force. In any critical situation, an army relies on the cohesion, focus, and resilience of its troops. Conscription creates mentally checked-out soldiers. A career-based military mitigates many of these mental health consequences by giving individuals the opportunity to find purpose and meaning in their service. It is the ethical and the cynical thing to do.
Explore the evidence
An Investigation of the Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Newly Recruited Young Adult Men in Turkey.
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE MILITARY CONTEXT : EMOTIONAL STATES AND HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIOURS DURING CONSCRIPTION
A Strengthening Experience? Mental Distress during Military Service
