National Defence Committee on March 4th, 2014

[Col Rakesh Jetly]

That's an excellent question.

Again, when we surveyed, we didn't ask the question. We should have asked if you would think less of somebody else who sought mental health care. People said 6%. We didn't ask what you would think of yourself if you sought mental health care. I suspect it would be higher than 6%.

I think we have an organization...and I asked people when I was in Gagetown talking to battle groups to cut themselves the same slack that they would cut a battle buddy. I think guys would march their battle buddy into care, but they would be hesitant to have their battle buddy march them to care. So I think it's in terms of what a person thinks other people are going to think of them, which is more than what the other person would think. After 10 years of war, I think people understand that people come back broken and they'll give each other the hand-up for that.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Thank you, Chair.

General Millar, I heard you describe the services available to family. I know we have an extensive network across the country for that, but I'm somewhat incredulous in that we talked about our going to Petawawa, when one couple I met—we only had a very short time with individuals who came forward—the spouse of the serving member, a woman whose husband had PTSD, complained that it took her four years to get counselling for herself to understand her husband's PTSD, what it was, what it was doing. They almost didn't make it as a couple, she said. They both complained about this.

How is that adequate when we talk about how the vet families are the bedrock? I understand all that, and I know you folks are doing a lot of work, but how can it be that some woman said she'd asked many times; it took her four years to get counselling?

[MGen David Millar]

Without knowing the specific case, we have learned a lot. We have learned that it's important to educate and to provide the tools to our spouses so they can understand the signs, the impacts, and how a member feels when they're depressed, or they have post-traumatic stress disorder, to allow them to help their loved ones. Certainly, we've taken Chris and Kathy Linford as part of our education program and they have travelled across the country explaining their own predicament so that other families can understand. We have put programs in place since that time for our spouses and our children to educate them in the symptoms, the signs, and the coping strategies. When I say we can do more, that is one area we're focusing on.

[The Chair, Conservative, Peter Kent]

General, thank you very much, and to all our witnesses today, again our apologies. I share committee members' frustration that time was short, and I'm giving you a heads-up that you may receive a follow-up invitation to discuss more fully some of the issues before us today. Again, thank you for your appearance today. Thank you for your patience in dealing with the vagaries of parliamentary procedure.

This meeting is now adjourned.