At its peak, the Canadian detachment in Afghanistan numbered 3,000 soldiers. The Canadian combat role was wound down in 2011, but the country has committed to providing military training assistance to the war-torn country until 2014.

Its experience of suicides mirrors that of the US and UK, where army chiefs have been warned of the rising tide of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The illness takes on average 11 years to manifest itself, meaning that countries that had extensive involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan in the first decade of the 21st century can expect a serious outbreak in this the second. In 2012, more US service members took their own lives than were killed in combat.

Controversially, nine regional centres in Canada that provided services to veterans are due to close. Many of those services are being moved online or handled by a 24-hour toll-free telephone helpline.