A recent article from the Veterans for Common Sense website details how little progress has been made on the mental health front for deployed and deploying soldiers. Military officials pledged to improve mental health services back in 2003 after a spate of suicides touched off national interest.

In the year following that the pledge, it seemed possible that the military was doing a good job in carrying through on its promise, as the number of reported mental health problems dropped off significantly. This year, however, there has once again been a dramatic increase in the number of problems soldiers are having.

I have been an advocate of mental health screenings as part of the enlistment process for the last several years. Here in the US, we have physical fitness tests to ensure the combat viability of a person prior to allowing them to enlist, why shouldn’t we have a mental health screening process to help point out potential soldiers who may not be able to handle the stresses of a combat situation?

In an era when recruiting for the military is at a low, even with sign on bonuses of up to $40,000 (USD) cash, opponents of this idea say it won’t be cost effective, and will hinder the military’s ability to operate at sustainable levels.

Should “cost effectiveness” ever enter the discussion when we talk about the health of those we entrust to protect us?

Maybe if our government didn’t just drop $80,000 on a new bike trail for Hot Springs, Arkansas, or $800,000 for the Mammoth Lakes Bus Purchase in California we could afford to get these soldiers the help they need in dealing with the health problems accumulated from multiple deployments to high stress enviroments.

More frivolous government spending here.