Army Afghanistan Tele-Shrinks

The Army has added about 2,700 behavioral health specialists to treat combat stress during the past two years, with just under 300 deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.

But, providing soldiers face-to-face access with psychologists or psychiatrists in Afghanistan remains a challenge due to terrain and the widely dispersed Army forces in that country, the service's top doc, Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, told a Pentagon press briefing today.

So, he wants to use technology to provide those remote soldiers with access to mental health services over the Internet. Schoomaker did not provide any details, but Fred Mael, a Baltimore, Md., psychologist said the idea made sense, because good therapy involves plain old talking, which can be done by phone or e-mail.

Mael said soldiers in remote camps with an Internet connection could use Skype phone software to connect with a counselor.

We sure have come a long way from Freud's Vienna couch.