Former Kildare TD Warns Defence Forces Mental Health Stigma Persists: Troops Won’t Tell Medical Officers

Thursday, 18 September 2025 11:12

By Martin Osborne - Head Of News. Got A Story? Email news@kfmradio.com

His remarks follow a Kildare coroner’s warning that military fitness standards should be separated from career progression, to ensure troops seek help without fear of losing opportunities.

“If there was anything wrong with me, I would not be mentioning it to a medical officer.”

That’s the warning from former Independent Kildare South TD and ex-Army Ranger Cathal Berry, who says a culture of reluctance still exists within the Defence Forces around the reporting of mental health problems.

Berry says many soldiers, including himself, have been reluctant to disclose mental health problems - worried it could cost them promotions or overseas deployments.

While he praised improvements in support services, he insists the Department of Defence must update regulations to break the stigma.

His remarks follow a Kildare coroner’s warning that military fitness standards should be separated from career progression, to ensure troops seek help without fear of losing opportunities.

Coroner Loretta Nolan - who handles about one suicide case each week - made the comments at an inquest into the suicide of a 32-year-old corporal at the Curragh Camp.

She’s urging mental health first aid training across all ranks and a “buddy system” for regular check-ins among personnel.

Nolan will formally recommend changes to the Defence Minister, Department of Defence, and Defence Forces Chief of Staff, calling the issue a significant concern for two decades.

Berry admits that during his own service, he too would have kept quiet about mental health issues for fear of harming his career.

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