Veterans relive war traumaNovember 27, 2001Whilst the general public have been left in a state of shock after the events of September 11, the resulting war against terrorism is likely to have a significant psychological effect on one particular group in society; soldiers from past and present conflicts. In an article in the December issue of The Psychologist, published on Monday 3 December, Dr Nigel Hunt argues that many veterans suffer psychological distress that continues long after their own war experiences. Around 20 per cent of ex-soldiers were found to have psychological problems decades after their war experience ended. Dr Hunt suggests that this is due, in part, to reminders about their experiences, with the present war in Afghanistan having a major effect. Traumatic memories of wartime events, when activated by a reminder such as images in the media, generate an emotional response. Whilst most groups of people who undergo disturbing experiences have the opportunity to work through the ordeal, most soldiers are encouraged to suppress their experiences. While effective as a coping strategy in the short term, traumatic memories may return to haunt them. Dr Hunt stresses the need for appropriate health care, education and training for soldiers when they leave the service to help to minimize any problems that might occur in later life. Ideally, the author suggests, there should be a British government-funded Department of Veterans’ Affairs with full responsibility for the care of ex-service personnel in need. Dr Hunt says ‘The media has a key role in downplaying the importance of psychological damage to soldiers in war. We should not allow this to happen with the current war - we are not providing appropriate help for these people.’ British Psychological Society (BPS) |
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