The Ministry of Defence has updated its recruitment policies, clarifying that a past experience of depression does not automatically disqualify potential recruits from joining the Reserve forces.
This follows a written question from Anneliese Dodds, Labour (Co-op) MP for Oxford East, who asked whether past experiences of depression are considered in the online recruitment process.
In response, Minister of State for Defence Maria Eagle said: “The Defence Secretary has undertaken to review the current recruitment policies and has already announced several changes to prior outdated approaches.”
She outlined that the revised guidelines are part of a broader commitment to modernising recruitment practices within the Armed Forces. An update to Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950 Leaflet 6-7-7, which sets out the Medical Employment Standards for the Armed Forces, was published in August 2024. The revision came after an extensive review conducted by clinical experts, Defence personnel staff, and recruiting agencies.
“The updated JSP 950 Leaflet 6-7-7 is now in use and applies to both Regular and Reserve Forces. In the case of mood disorders, including depression, the update confirms that candidates with a single episode of depressive disorder may be able to join the Armed Forces providing they meet certain criteria,” Eagle explained.
The updated policy states that for mild or moderate episodes, candidates may be eligible if the episode lasted less than two years and they have remained symptom-free for at least one year after completing all treatment. For severe episodes, the eligibility extends to candidates who have remained asymptomatic for at least two years following the end of treatment.
The changes mark a shift towards a more nuanced approach, aiming to balance the need for operational readiness with a recognition that many individuals recover fully from mental health challenges.
No wonder our Army recruitment is so bad
It’s cherry picking… “be the best” (which we are not), criteria… nonsense
And nobody would put various illnesses on an application
I suffer from depression, and it doesn’t stop me from doing my job, nor can it stop other people
God, I fundraise for soldiers in Ukraine with one arm, and leg, lost an eye etc
They are on the front line FIGHTING, driving vehicles, operating FPV drones, and the rest
Our armed forces are being ruined by wokeness and silly old-fashioned rules and though police!
“Wokeness” literally has nothing to do with any point you raised there John. If anything what you are suggesting, widening recruitment criteria to be more inclusive of people with disabilities, is pretty “woke”.
Screening for people with psychological problems, including depression, is pretty important. Less so because of it’s effect on whether or not they can do their jobs, and more so because it’s worth while thinking twice before handing someone with clinical depression a loaded firearm (literally).
(Oh and I don’t think you understand how military recruitment works, you don’t get a form where you declare your various illnesses, the MoD simply pulls your NHS records, where, if you’ve been seen for Clinical Depression, it will be recorded).
I’m getting depressed just reading about all the crap put out by the civil servants and the politicians. We are in for another 3/4 years of nothing…