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Science Friday > Archives > 2003 > April > April 25, 2003:
Hour One: Military Psychiatry

As the fighting in Iraq comes to an end, soldiers will return home and try to re-establish their normal routines. How will their war experiences change them? And how can mental health professionals help soldiers put the war behind them?

The practice of military psychiatry has come a long way from the days of veterans' mental health concerns being dismissed as 'shell shock' or 'battle fatigue.' In this hour of Science Friday we'll look at the effects of war on the mental health of fighting men and women. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255, and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required).

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Guests:
Dr. Jonathan Shay
Psychiatrist
Author: "Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming" (Scribner, 2002)
Staff Psychiatrist
Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic
Boston, Massachusetts

Ben Shephard
Author: "A War of Nerves: Soldiers and Psychiatrists in the Twentieth Century" (Harvard University Press, 2001)
Bristol, United Kingdom

Lt. Colonel Elspeth Cameron Ritchie
Psychiatrist, Medical Corps
Program Director, Mental Health Policy and Women's Issues
Office of the Assistant Defense Secretary for Health Affairs
Falls Church, Virginia

Books/Articles Discussed:

"A War of Nerves: Soldiers and Psychiatrists in the Twentieth Century," by Ben Shephard. Harvard University Press, 2001.

"Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming, " by Jonathan Shay. .Scribner, 2002.

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Related Links:
PubMed: Military Psychiatry
Coping with War-Related Stress: Information for Military Families and Communities
National Center for PTSD // National Center for Post-Traumatic ...
Military Veterans (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) PTSD Reference ...
BBC - History - Shell Shock during World War One
DefenseLINK News: From 'Shell Shock' to 'Combat Stress'
US News: The War of Emotions
The Village Voice: Features: Shell-Shock and Awe by Joy Press

 


This segment produced by Annette Heist

 


 

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