Canadian soldiers file fewer sick days despite stress of Afghan war

OTTAWA - The stress of combat in war-torn Afghanistan hasn't stopped Canadian soldiers from showing up for work, according to new Canadian Forces figures on sick days.
The data in fact suggests overall sick leave - largely for serious psychiatric and musculoskeletal problems - has been trending significantly downwards since 2004.
Army members were booking twice as many days off in 2004 as they did last year for psychiatric problems, according to figures provided to The Canadian Press.
Sick leave for post-traumatic stress disorder dropped from about 850 days per 1,000 soldiers in 2004, to about 350 days per 1,000 soldiers in 2008.
That trend flies in the exact opposite direction of figures for the general population, with Statistics Canada numbers showing an increase in sick days claimed by Canadian civilians in both the public and private sectors.
Col. Hugh MacKay of Canadian Forces Health Services said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the numbers.
"This is a very positive finding from a sick-leave perspective," MacKay said.
"It's starting to trend down to what Air Force and Navy levels have been despite the fact that we have continued to be in Afghanistan and are maintaining this high operational tempo."
The preliminary figures come from a new database, created in 2004, that tracks serious illness rather than the odd day off due to a cold or migraine, which can be approved by a supervisor.
This tracks Canadian Forces personnel who require three or more days off for illness as those individuals are required to visit a military health clinic and obtain a medical note, MacKay said.
MacKay credits the expansion of mental health services and better support for those transitioning back to work following a physical or mental illness for the sharp decrease.
Military brass are far more aware and understanding of the psychological difficulties troops face, and the stigma often attached to those who seek help for a mental illness is diminishing, he said.
MacKay noted the financial cost of long-term absenteeism is also trending downwards.
According to the analysis, the estimated cost of time off due to serious illness dropped to about $82 million last year from more than $85.5 million in 2004.
The one exception is among Air Force personnel forced to stay home because of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the figures obtained by The Canadian Press.
MacKay suggests the increase could be the result of more airmen being deployed to Afghanistan.
"I can't give you a reason for (the increase) necessarily, although the Air Force's involvement overseas has increased considerably over time as we've brought helicopters into theatre and increased our capability for UAV's (unmanned aerial vehicles)," he said.