The Department of National Defence announced a new initiative Thursday to help soldiers deal with, and recover from, post traumatic stress disorder.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk said Thursday that members of the military who struggle with mental health issues no longer have to suffer alone or in silence.

The initiative was prompted by the release last week of a Commons committee report on the effects of PTSD.

Among its recommendations, the committee called on the Canadian Forces to erase the stigma often associated with mental illness in the military, and create a culture of openness around PTSD.

The committee's report also suggested the military perform an audit to identify any holes in the Department of National Defence's mental health system and provide more training for officers to identify the signs of mental fatigue or stress, early on.

The military is also taking the rare step of reaching out for help from other organizations -- asking for input from Canadian mental health groups to address the issue in the ranks.

The struggle with mental illness has always been a touchy subject for the Canadian military. Even the question of whether to go public with the new initiative was under discussion up until the 11th hour.

It was only announced on Wednesday that the Thursday news conference would go ahead -- reportedly after intense internal discussions triggered by last week's Commons report.

The campaign comes amid a military police investigation into the death of Maj. Michelle Mendes in Afghanistan last April. It was a suspected suicide.