March On Stress

Psychological health of private security contractors

Added on the 21st October 2014

Professor Neil Greenberg, together with March on Stress US clinical director Dr Mylea Charvat, attended the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA) Annual Summit in Washington DC last week. They spoke as part of an expert panel which considered the psychological health of private security contractors.

Professor Greenberg said: “There was lots of lively discussion on the panel which was well received by attendees.

“Most security contractors have a military or security services background, which predisposes them to possibly suffer from mental health issues. When you also factor in the environments they work in as security contractors, which are often ‘higher risk’, as they seek to protect people, vehicles, or locations, they are also at risk from further exposure to traumatic events.

“The panel discussion highlighted the clear need for further consideration of this topic by the security industry. Indeed this also links to the findings published by the Rand Corporation in December 2013, which showed that PTSD rates in private security contractors are double that of personnel in the UK military.

“The Rand report also noted that contractors working for organisations that have operational stress management policies in place and working 'do better' than those that don't. The report recommended interventions such as peer support programmes such as Trauma Risk Management (TRiM).”

For more on the ISOA, please, click here.

To read the RAND report in full, please, click here.

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