The Finnish military is preparing for an increase in mental health problems experienced by soldiers returning from overseas operations like the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan, national daily Helsingin Sanomat reported Monday.

The paper quoted a Defence College study as indicating that more than half of the troops returning from crisis management and peacekeeping missions had had problems like stress symptoms or domestic disputes within weeks of returning from a deployment.

According to the paper the Defence Forces are considering mimicking Denmark's practice of using contract psychologists and therapists.

"There has not been a need for this in the past," Jukka Leskinen of the National Defence College was quoted as saying by Helsingin Sanomat.
"Finland had traditionally kept itself disengaged from combat operations."

STT
LEHTIKUVA - ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO