Defense, mental health services prepare emergency plan for veteran care in case of war
The Dutch Ministry of Defense is collaborating with several mental health organizations to develop an emergency plan for scaling up psychological care for military personnel and veterans if the Netherlands becomes involved in a war, RTL reports. Officials expect to finalize the plan by the end of 2025.
The Ministry of Defense has reportedly long prepared expansion plans for various sectors in the event of conflict, including hospitals. However, until now, no specific plan existed for mental health services. Pieter Hakvoort, chairman of the National Care System for Veterans, explained the urgency to RTL: “The geopolitical situation requires us to prepare for a significantly higher demand for psychological support for soldiers and veterans.”
The network, coordinated by the Ministry of Defense, currently works with multiple mental health institutions to provide specialized care to veterans. But the system is designed for the number of veterans returning from past deployments, not the large influx expected in a major conflict.
Veteran and former professional soldier Wouter Kenter, deployed to Iraq in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2007, highlighted the importance of specialized trauma care. “During deployment, you focus on the mission and don’t reflect on emotions. You get through those periods with a practical mindset,” he told RTL.
After leaving the service, Kenter experienced symptoms that led him to the Traumacentrum of GGZ Drenthe, a center specializing in veteran trauma treatment. Dorien de Groot, manager and therapist at the center, noted that trauma treatments are fundamentally the same for all patients but stressed the importance of understanding military culture and language. “It is important to know the professional context and speak the veterans’ language. For example, if a veteran says they felt unsafe because the ‘jammer’ failed, you need to understand what that means,” she explained, referring to specialized military jargon.
The National Care System for Veterans expects to complete its detailed scaling plan by year-end. “We will not disclose specific numbers because of confidentiality,” Hakvoort told RTL, “but we are quite advanced in our preparations.”
The Ministry of Defense and mental health organizations are exploring strategies to increase available personnel if demand rises, including extra training for existing mental health professionals to treat military personnel, recruiting additional staff who can shift to veteran care when needed, and training Defense personnel to provide mental health support. These efforts involve close cooperation with the Dutch mental health trade association, Nederlandse ggz. Jeroen Pepers, the association’s director, acknowledged challenges ahead, saying, “There are difficult questions about how to prioritize care under increased pressure. We already face long waiting lists and need to avoid unnecessary impact on civilians.”
Marco Timmer, manager at the Traumacentrum of GGZ Drenthe, stressed the importance of preparation without assuming the plan will be needed. “Preparing for a possible war scenario is essential, but it does not mean we will activate the plan. We want to avoid the system breaking down as it did during COVID-19, even though we hope it never has to be used,” he said. After receiving trauma treatment himself, Kenter has become a therapist for veterans. “Clients often understand me after just a few words. They quickly realize we speak the same language,” he told RTL.
