This document discusses mental health screening in the military. It outlines the process for screening military applicants and assessing active service members. For applicants, there is an initial medical prescreening exam and further exam at the Military Entrance Processing Station. For active members, there is self-reporting, mandatory health evaluations, and surveys. Members have access to treatment. However, the document notes that applicant screening relies solely on self-reporting and there is a lack of mandatory periodic testing for active members. It suggests improving screening through in-person applicant exams and mandatory assessments.

1. Mental Health Screening
in the Military

2. Risk Timeline
Application
Acceptance
to Service
Deployment
Combat
PTSD

3. Army Standards of
Medical Fitness
Dis-
quali-
fication
Should
Result
From
Disorders with psychotic features.
“Neurotic, anxiety, mood, somatoform,
dissociative, or factitious disorders.”
“Personality, conduct, and behavior
disorders.”

4. Mental Illness Rate of Accepted Applicants
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
General Population Accepted Military Applicants
Mental Illness Percentage

5. Two Questions
1.
•How are applicants
screened?
2.
•How are active
service members
assessed/treated?

6. 1. Applicant Screening
Apply
Medical
Prescreen
Exam at
Military
Entrance
Processing
Station
Acceptance
into Service

7. 2. Active Duty Assessment/Treatment
Self Reporting
Commander/Supervisor Required MHE
DoD Survey of HRB
Pre-Deployment Assessment
Post Deployment Health Assessment
Post Deployment Health Reassessment

8. 2. (cont.) Treatment

9. Analysis of Military Policy/Procedure
Pre-Deployment Post Deployment
Access to Care
Changing
Attitude
Good

10. Analysis (cont.)
Applicants = Self
Report Only
Lack of Mandatory
Periodical Testing
Mental Illness
Stigma
Unnecessary
Discharge
Bad

11. Practical Means for Improvement
Face-to-face exam of applicants
• Mandatory periodical mental health assessments
Reassessment of previous adjustment and
personality disorder discharges
• Emphasis on mental illness in public conversation and
continuing steps away from weakness connotation

12. Sources
• Certain Health Issues Can Make It Hard to
Join, MILITARY.COM, http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/disqualifiers-
medical-conditions.html (last visited Mar. 29, 2014).
• Alan Zarembo, High Rate of Mental Illness in Recruits, LA TIMES (Mar.
4, 2014), http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/04/local/la-me-army-mental-
illness-20140304.
• The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL
HEALTH, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-
disorders-in-america/index.shtml#Intro (last visited Mar. 29, 2014).
• “Report of Medical History,” DD Form 2807-1, Aug. 2011.
• “Medical Prescreen of Medical History Report,” DD Form 2807-2, Aug. 2011.
• COMMITTEE ON THE YOUTH POPULATION AND MILITARY RECRUITMENT: PHYSICAL, MEDICAL, AND
MENTAL HEALTH STANDARDS, NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL
ACADEMIES, ASSESSING FITNESS FOR MILITARY ENLISTMENT: PHYSICAL, MEDICAL, AND MENTAL
HEALTH STANDARDS 24-25 (Paul R. Sackett & Anne S. Mavor eds., 2006) .
• Military Entrance Processing Stations, UNITED STATES MILITARY ENTRANCE PROCESSING
COMMAND, http://www.mepcom.army.mil/meps/ (last visited Mar. 30, 2014).

13. Sources (cont.)
• About Military OneSource, MILITARY
ONESOURCE, http://www.militaryonesource.mil/footer?content_id=267441 (last
visited Mar. 31, 2014).
• Army Behavioral Health, Pre-Deployment Information, U.S. ARMY MED’L
DEPT., http://www.behavioralhealth.army.mil/pre-deploy/index.html (last visited
Apr. 1, 2014).
• Army Behavioral Health, Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. ARMY MED’L
DEPT., http://www.behavioralhealth.army.mil/tools/faqscomb.html (last visited Apr.
1, 2014).
• Patricia Kime, Adjustment Disorder May Now Net Disability Pay, MILITARY TIMES
(Oct. 11, 2013, 4:58
PM), http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20131011/NEWS/310110027/Adjustm
ent-disorder-may-now-net-disability-pay.
• Patricia Kime, Former Soldier Sues Army for Alleged Wrongful Mental Health
Discharge, MILITARY TIMES (Nov. 21, 2013, 6:00
AM), http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20131121/NEWS/311210023/Former-
soldier-sues-Army-alleged-wrongful-mental-health-discharge.
• Parity for Patriots: The Mental Health Needs of Military Personnel, Veterans and
Their Families, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, June 2012, at 4.
• “Mental Health Evaluations of Members of the Military Services,” DoD Instruction
No. 6490.04, Mar. 4, 2013.