Nearly 10 per cent of the total British military presence in Iraq, an average of two every day, suffer mental disorders. (Reuters)

CAIRO – More than 60 British soldiers, nearly ten percent of the total British troops in Iraq, suffer mental disorders every month, The Independent reported on Thursday, June 15, citing British Ministry of Defense.

"This figure has enormous ramifications for the ability of the armed forces to keep up to strength and to maintain the morale of their troops," said British MP Philip Dunne.

"The people I feel particularly sorry for are members of the Territorial Army, who are plucked out of ordinary life and sent into Iraq, where they perform an invaluable service, and are then expected to fit back into ordinary life."

In a written answer to Dunne, British Armed Service Minister Tom Watson told the House of Commons Wednesday, June 14, that some 727 British troopers suffered psychiatric disorders in 2005 brought on by their period in Iraq.

The figure is nearly 10 per cent of the total British military presence in Iraq, an average of 60 each month, or two every day.

Some had post-traumatic stress disorder while others suffered from depression, high levels of anxiety, or from the effect of trying to solve their own problems using drink or drugs.

This is a sharp increase from official statistics released four months ago, showing that 1,333 troops had needed treatment in the first two and a half years of the Iraq war, an average of around 40 a month.

The BBC said on Sunday, May 28, that the number of British soldiers deserting military service over the US-led invasion has been on the rise with more than 1,000 personnel absent without leave and failing to return since the war.

Underlying Causes

The British minister admitted that there could be many more soldiers with mental problems that were at least partly caused by the Iraq war.

"It can also be difficult to determine the underlying causes of some mental health problems, some of which could be caused by a combination of other events that occurred before or after service," Watson said.

Last month, the minister said that members of the Territorial Army would be entitled to "enhanced" mental health care after serving in Iraq.

Currently, there are 70 ex-servicemen with mental health problems caused by the Iraq war being cared for by the Combat Stress charity.

A recent US study revealed that US troops returning from Iraq have the highest rate of mental health consultation and psychological problems compared to other troops returning from Afghanistan and other trouble spots.

One third of US troops returning from Iraq have needed at least one mental health consultation and one in five has been diagnosed with combat-induced psychological problems.

Nearly 400 of the 550,000 Iraq war veterans returned as amputees and had to learn to open doors with metal fingers, walk on prosthetic legs.