The Ministry of Defence is to launch a pilot scheme to help stressed-out soldiers returning from Afghanistan or Iraq to deal with the heavy drinking, violent behaviour and dangerous driving which often follows operational deployments and continues once individuals quit the Army.

The Ministry of Defence is to launch a pilot scheme to help stressed-out soldiers returning from Afghanistan or Iraq to deal with the heavy drinking, violent behaviour and dangerous driving which often follows operational deployments and continues once individuals quit the Army.

Surgeon Commander Dr Neil Greenberg, senior lecturer in psychiatry at London's Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, said the initiative was aimed at helping combat veterans to kick "habits which keep them alive in the field, but are not conducive to civilian life".

An educational briefing is to be tested first on the 4000 troops who leave the Army every six months. It will be coupled with a graphic video presentation entitled The Grim Reaper which warns that "the toughest troops are still vulnerable to car crashes".

Dr Greenberg said: "In a theatre of war, risky behaviour and erratic driving are part of survival. You wouldn't wear a seatbelt in the streets of Kabul and driving unpredictably can save your life. Too many soldiers carry on the same behaviour back in the UK. This explains the high rate of dangerous driving convictions among ex-soldiers in the year after discharge."

He added that heavy drinking was frequently part of the military "buddy culture" instilled in new recruits to help them fit in and feel secure among their peers.

"Soldiers learn to look after each other, check their buddies' kit and look after their backs. Having a few beers with their mates at the end of the day is part of that culture. But back at home, a life where the priority is drinking with Army pals undermines marriages and can lead to alcohol abuse, violence and mental health issues."

Veterans represent 25% of the homeless on Britain's streets and a high proportion of the prison population, largely as a result of ex-servicemen missing their military "family" and being unable to adjust to civilian rules. Almost one in eight of the rough sleepers on Glasgow's streets is an ex-soldier - twice the number in London, according to Poppy Scotland, the ex-services charity.