Increasing levels of PTSD among female Defence Forces veterans, says charity

Organisation for Ex-Service Personnel is seeing a rise in the number of women seeking its help. Picture: RollingNews.ie

Significant levels of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mental illness, substance addiction, family breakdown, and homelessness are now being reported among female Defence Forces veterans, according to a support charity.

The numbers of both male and female veterans with such issues now seeking help from the Organisation for Ex-Service Personnel (ONE) is on the rise, according to the charity's first female veteran support officer (VSO).

Another trend is the increasingly younger age profile of veterans seeking help, according to Audra Larkin, who has been appointed by the ONE to oversee the charity’s support services in the Cork and Kerry regions. She said some veterans in their 30s are presenting with the issues.

PDForra — the organisation which represents enlisted personnel — believes the lowering of the veteran age profile stems from younger people quitting the Defence Forces due the poor pay and conditions.

However, many cannot cope with the loss of camaraderie that results from leaving the tight-knit "military family". 

“From our experience, this lowering age profile can be linked to many different societal issues, including marital breakdown, and other general reasons,” Ms Larkin said.

Increasing issues with veterans

ONE is seeing a rise in the number of women seeking its help. Females were first admitted to the Defence Forces in the early 1980s and that cohort is now retiring. Initially they were not allowed to be combatants, but that changed in 1992, and since then have been on the frontline with men.

ONE is bracing itself for more women needing its services in the coming years and for a younger male/female cohort than the charity has been used to dealing with.

Ms Larkin — who served as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) with the 1st Field Medical Company in Collins Barracks in Cork for 12 years — believes the charity is going to have its work cut out in the years to come dealing with increasing issues with veterans.

“ONE is a registered charity offering housing and support for veterans, with the ultimate goal of accessing permanent accommodation, improving mental health, and preventing future homelessness,” said Ms Larkin. 

"We advocate for struggling veterans, and ONE's role is in relation to the provision of support to all veterans."

Originally from Crosshaven, Co Cork, but now living in Fethard, Co Tipperary, she says there are an estimated 130,000 ex-Defence Forces members in the country, and around 30,000 living in Cork and Kerry.

Veterans' homes

The charity recently opened a veterans' home and veterans' support centre in Cobh, Co Cork, and plans to open another at Ballyhooly Rd in Cork City shortly.

“We now have three VSOs in the country, and we’re hoping to expand on that number,” she said. 

We don’t just work with the veterans themselves but with their families."

ONE has called its counselling operation Scar (Support Comradeship Advocacy and Remembrance). There are currently 38 branches and 15 drop-in advice centres for ONE veterans and it is hoping to expand these and the number of VSOs into the future.

While the charity does get some Government support, it has to rely on donations from the public to keep its services going.