The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has introduced a new mandatory programme, Annual Mental Fitness Brief (AMFB), for all defence personnel.
The initiative was launched on 10 October and coincides with World Mental Health Day.
According to the UK MoD, the AMFB is designed to cover the key aspects of developing and maintaining good mental health for all staff across the services.
The new programme will require all the personnel of the British Armed Forces to receive a mandatory mental health briefing, which is scheduled to be available from 11 October.
It will contribute to one of the key points outlined in the Defence Command Paper, published earlier this year by the UK Government.
The MoD will undertake several reviews and strategies to attract, motivate and retain the military’s professional workforce.
UK Defence People and Veterans Minister Leo Docherty said: “I am proud we have taken yet another step to enhance our welfare provision for personnel.
“The Annual Mental Fitness Brief is the latest example of Defence’s commitment to ensuring our people are at the top of their game, both mentally and physically.
“Not only is it vital for our personnel to understand what help is available to them, it is also essential our provisions are regularly updated with the latest in mental health research and science.
“The new programme will take place annually, ensuring our service people are equipped to support their mental health both on and off operations.”
The AFMB programme consists of modules that define the latest learning strategies for mental health and wellbeing, as well as stress management.
The mandatory annual briefing is available on UK Defence’s internal learning platform.
