Can I join the reserves with depression?
Anonymous asked a question to Medical
Category: Career Advice
Date asked: Thursday, August 1, 2019
Last reviewed: Thursday, August 1, 2019
Tori C.
Regimental Medical Officer
Hello,
I am afraid military doctors have very little to do with entry medical requirements, so this is not my area of expertise. But hopefully some of the following helps.
Each medical case is very individual. The recruitment team will use a set of guidelines to aid them when considering whether or not someone can join due to a medical condition. These guidelines are updated on a regular basis and will take into account various factors.
For Depression, the information they will most likely look at includes;
How many episodes of depression you have had.
How long these episodes lasted.
The time since your last episode.
What medications you took and how long you took them for.
Whether there were any triggers for your depressive episode, and what these triggers were.
Whether you also suffered from any other symptoms, such as anxiety.
Someone who currently is on medication or suffering from depression is unlikely to pass a medical, however the same person after a couple of years symptom free may be successful. However this will vary from case to case.
I hope that helps, sorry I can't be more specific!
Thursday, August 1, 2019
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