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Military Health System

Hurricane Milton & Hurricane Helene

Emergency procedures are in place in multiple states due to Hurricane Milton & Hurricane Helene. >>Learn More

Cpl. Anthony Gray practices yoga with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 1, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan, April 13, 2018. Over 100 Marines and Sailors with MWHS-1 participated in this event in order to build camaraderie and unit cohesion. Gray, from Muscatine, Iowa, is an intelligence specialist with MWHS-1. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexia Lythos)
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Military Health System Mental Health Hub

Mental Health is health. The Military Health System has many resources available to help service members, families, or veterans who are struggling with mental health challenges.

Military families' lives are generally very different from others. Service members may be subject to frequent relocations, deployments, and stressful experiences due to combat and time away from their families. Families cope with additional stressors when their loved ones are deployed, managing family life on the home front. Traumatic events such as combat, assault, or disasters can have long-lasting negative effects like trouble sleeping, increased anger, nightmares, anxiety, and alcohol and drug abuse.

Protecting, optimizing, and defending mental health needs is vital to the well-being and readiness of our military force. Seeking help is a sign of strength and a critical element of individual performance and overall readiness. 

Find Mental Health Services Near You

You are not alone.

If you're concerned that you or a loved one may be experiencing mental illness, you are not alone. Mental health is an important part of overall health and well-being, yet mental illness affects millions of people worldwide. Mental health disorders include anxiety, depression, seasonal affective disorder, or more serious illnesses as bipolar disorder, major depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, and more. Unfortunately, most people with mental illness do not receive mental health services that they need.

Do what feels right for you.

There isn't one way to think or feel or act. The important thing is to take advantage of all mental health care resources. Remember that every moment in time can affect you and others differently. Treatment is available, and it's okay to ask for help.

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Jul 6, 2023

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The Uniformed Services University, in conjunction with the American Psychiatric Association, has created a new course titled "Disaster and Prevention Psychiatry: Protecting Health and Fostering Community Resilience." USU's new course was created through its department of psychiatry and the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress in conjunction with the APA. (Photo: Uniformed Services University)

In the wake of rising global disasters and their impact on the population, the Uniformed Services University, in conjunction with the American Psychiatric Association, has created a first-of-its-kind course to understand and prepare for such crises.

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Walter Reed Expert Shares Five Ways to Prioritize Mental Health

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In today's fast-paced health care environment, it's more important than ever to prioritize mental health to build resilience, and in honor of National Mental Health Awareness Month and Staff Resiliency Week at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Dr. Kristine Diaz, a personnel psychologist, shares five ways staff members can prioritize their ...

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May 22, 2023

New Mental Health Care Initiative Improves Access to Care and Readiness

A room plaque for the 341st Operational Medical Readiness Squadron mental health flight is pictured inside the base clinic June 23, 2021, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. The mental health flight offers mental health services to active duty members and manages the Family Advocacy and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment programs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Heather Heiney)

For more than a year, the Air Force Medical Service has been rolling out Mental Health Targeted Care, an initiative that helps Airmen and Guardians understand all of the available options for support and connects them to the right resource either in a mental health clinic or outside the military hospital with another supporting agency that best meets ...

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Mar 8, 2023

Physician Says DOD Focused on Improving Mental Health of Force

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Defense Department health leaders provided testimony today at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez said the department is committing resources with a focus on preventing suicides of military and family members.

Last Updated: October 16, 2024
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