National Defence committee  Good morning, Madam Chair and honourable members. My name is Hinesh Chauhan. I spent 18 and a half years in the army, an equal combination of full-time and part-time service, as a combat engineer and then an engineer officer. I had very broad experience and exposure to various o

National Defence committee  I'll answer starting with the sense of community. The greater the community is, the stronger the connections are. Studies show over and over an improvement or strengthening of mental health and a decreased risk of suicide. In the countries I mentioned, there's a larger, communal

National Defence committee  I don't think I could speak on his behalf or know what he was facing when it was recognized that he had any psychological issues. What I have heard from peers, though, was that folks or soldiers who have gone to sick parade with suicidal ideations have not been treated immediatel

National Defence committee  Yes, that's agreed.

National Defence committee  I would. In terms of return on investment, you won't get much of a difference. It's really the culture to be able to discuss openly issues surrounding mental health, to discuss suicide or suicide ideation within the ranks. Military leaders need to be more open, show humility and

National Defence committee  That's a very big question. Based on the nature of how the Canadian Armed Forces works with the hierarchy, the ability for lower-ranking members to come forward and speak up in a town hall or any sort of forum won't happen. It never will. It hasn't. Having something like an an

National Defence committee  Absolutely. Immediately, the notification.... I'm in Ottawa, my parents are in Ottawa, my sister-in-law is in Petawawa and my brother was in Petawawa. His CO and my sister-in-law called to inform me as soon as he was discovered. That was quick, and a team was being sent to noti

National Defence committee  The incident occurred in June 2019, and his court martial was scheduled for October 19, 2020, over a year later.

National Defence committee  I'm not sure of the exact charges.

National Defence committee  I'm not sure.

National Defence committee  He had been seen.... He was on medical category. He had gotten treatment and was removed from the medical category, and then promoted and continued to be heavily medicated. I don't know if, towards the end, he continued to receive any psychiatric or psychological services.

National Defence committee  It definitely runs in the family. As I said, my grandmother committed suicide. He did have a previous attempt in 2000 when he was based in Edmonton. I would say yes.

National Defence committee  I think there are several things to the largest factors. Something shifted in him after his tour to Afghanistan. That's when he started drinking. He was released from the forces in 2000 and rejoined in 2007, when he hadn't had a drink in several years. After Afghanistan he start

National Defence committee  First, I'd just like to mention that, in terms of town halls, when you're talking physical injuries in the forces, it's easy for someone to talk about that because it's understood, it's recognized, it's visible and a person isn't faking it. A psychological disorder, however, or a

National Defence committee  I also think PTSD is more common. Members can talk openly about it because they all experience it. They're all in theatre together. Depression, anxiety and how we all react to certain life pressures varies. One person may be able to take it all stride and another person may not.