A survey of US soldiers in Afghanistan has shown that troops facing three or more combat tours have higher rates of mental health and marital problems, the US army says. The survey, released on Friday, found that 21.4 per cent of lower-ranking enlisted male soldiers, the group that generally experiences the most combat time, had mental health problems defined by army medical teams as anxiety, depression or acute stress. That compares to 23.4 per cent in 2007 and 10.4 per cent in 2005.And marital problems were dramatically higher among soldiers with three or more combat tours, with 30.8 per cent experiencing marital crises compared to 14.3 per cent for those on their first deployment.In the survey soldiers said unit morale in Afghanistan had declined as the frequency of fighting had increased and combat deaths and injuries reached record highs. The team that carried out the surveys recommended the army deploy more mental health specialists to Afghanistan where soldiers reported increasing problems getting access to care, in order to reach a ratio of one provider for every 700 soldiers
