DEPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY: EVIDENCEBASED STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH IN THE MILITARY/AB Adler, PD Bliese and CA Castro (eds.)

Abstract

On 23 March 2013, South African (SA) soldiers made contact with the
Seleka rebel group as part of the South African operational involvement in the
Central African Republic (CAR). The ensuing battle between the militia and the SA
troops left the latter with 27 wounded and, to date, 14 dead. The media coverage,
which followed our troop losses in the CAR, was a reminder for many of the integral
involvement of SA forces, in the form of the South African National Defence Force
(SANDF), across the African continent. With the passing of the United Nations
(UN) Security Council Resolution 2098, in March 2013, SANDF troops are now
being deployed as part of a roughly 3 000-strong UN Force Intervention Brigade
(FIB) in the DRC. In many ways the increased involvement of SA troops in the
CAR and the unfortunate loss of SA soldiers in the CAR serve as a stark reminder of
the important role played by mental health practitioners in providing our troops with
the appropriate psychological support during deployments. It is in this vein that
Deployment psychology: Evidenced-based strategies to promote mental health in the
military serves as a useful and timely repository for psychologists, registered
counsellors, and other mental health practitioners working in the SANDF.