Clearance Question on Mental Health Changed

National Guard, May 2008

The Defense Department will change a question on its long-standing security clearance form referencing an applicant's mental health history because officials believe it is needlessly preventing some people from seeking counseling.

The Standard Form 86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions, asks the applicant to acknowledge mental health care in the past seven years.

It does not ask for treatment details if the care involved only marital, family or grief counseling, not related to violence by the applicant, unless the treatment was court-ordered.

Officials said surveys have shown that troops feel if they answer "yes" to the question, they could jeopardize their security clearances, required for many occupations in the military.

As of April 18, applicants no longer have to acknowledge care under the same conditions, nor if the care was related to service in a military combat zone.

The revised wording has been distributed to the services and will be attached to the cover of the questionnaire. The revised question will not show up on the forms until the department depletes its preprinted stock later this year, officials said.

DoD security officials said no one has been denied a security clearance based solely on the receipt of mental health counseling.

But the perception that receiving care would jeopardize a security clearance, combined with the stigma of having to acknowledge the care on the form, may have been preventing some from receiving needed care.

About 1 million security forms are submitted annually within the Defense Department. Of those, less than 1 percent receives unfavorable determinations based solely on mental health issues, Rebecca Allen, deputy director of DoD security, said.

Of those denied, factors besides simply receiving counseling were considered, she said.

An Army Inspector General's report last year said soldiers were hesitant to get counseling because of the fear of losing their security clearances. Subsequent studies came to similar conclusions.