After leaving Afghanistan, soldiers would meet a psychologist – usually in Dubai – while returning to New Zealand.
The meeting with the psychologist included preparing soldiers for returning home.
He said many went on leave and needed help to cope with returning to normal life and the difficulty of “being away from the mates they consistently relied on”.
Help was available on returning to domestic military life but it relied on soldiers seeking it.
“Most soldiers would avoid going to a psychologist because of the stigma associated with having mental issues.”
He said the self-reporting aspect was also difficult because “having PTSD would show up on your file and can affect your career progression …”
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