Veterans’ Perspectives on the Psychosocial Impact of Killing in War

Based on focus group and individual interviews with 26 combat veterans, this qualitative thematic analysis examines the psychosocial and interpersonal consequences of killing in war. It describes the consequences that veterans identify as most relevant in their lives, including postwar changes in emotions, cognitions, relationships, and identity.

Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in Three Generations of Czech and Slovak Holocaust Survivors

The psychological consequences of trauma related to the Holocaust have been primarily studied in samples derived from Israel, North America, and Western Europe. Few studies have examined postcommunist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The present study focused on three generations living in the Czech Republic and Slovakia after World War II (WWII): Holocaust survivors (71–95 years of age), their children (30–73 years of age), and their grandchildren (15–48 years of age).

 

After the strike : Exposing the civilian harm effects of the 2015 Dutch airstrike on Hawija

Executive summary

On the night of 2-3 June 2015, two Dutch F-16s targeted a factory for vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) in use by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the city of Hawija, Iraq. The strike was carried out as part of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) and the larger US-led Coalition against ISIS. The airstrike caused a large secondary explosion which resulted in the destruction of a major share of the industrial neighbourhood of Hawija and led to severe civilian harm.

 

Interpersonal trauma histories and relationship functioning among LGB Veteran couples seeking PTSD treatment

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Veterans report greater emotional distress, trauma exposure, and PTSD rates than both LGB civilians and non-LGB Veterans. Traumatic experiences impact intimate relationships, potentially placing LGB Veterans at higher risk of relationship dysfunction secondary to trauma and PTSD. However, limited research has examined links between relationship functioning and trauma histories among couples with one or more LGB-identifying partners.

 

Relating to moral injuries : Dutch mental health practitioners on moral injury among military and police workers

In recent years the concept of moral injury has become a common term to describe the lasting impact of moral transgressions on frontline workers. This article aims to broaden the largely clinical debate by involving the views of a diverse group of mental health practitioners who support military and police personnel in the Netherlands. These practitioners are chaplains, confidential counsellors, social workers, psychologists and integrity officers. How do these practitioners describe the moral injuries of servicemen and police officers and how do they think these should be approached?

Contextual dimensions of moral injury : An interdisciplinary review

The concept of moral injury, referring to the psychological impact of having one’s moral expectations and beliefs violated, is gaining a firm place in research on military trauma. Yet, although moral injury has the recognized potential to extend the understanding of trauma beyond the individualizing and pathologizing focus of the clinical realm, most studies nevertheless focus on clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

 

Warnings against romanticising moral injury

Interest in the concept of moral injury among researchers, clinicians and policy makers can have undesirable consequences that are rarely considered. It can lead to misunderstanding of post-traumatic stress disorder, risks of primary and secondary gains for affected individuals and tertiary gains for third parties. This editorial calls for critical assessment of this sensitive matter.

 

 

The Long-Term Effects of Military Deployments and Their Relation with the Quality of Life of Dutch Veterans

Experiences during military deployments may have serious negative consequences for the health and well-being of veterans. The literature presents a wealth of information on these negative effects that are mostly studied relatively shortly after the veteran returned from deployment.

 

Working Through the Armenian Genocide in Present Turkey : A Psychoanalytic Social Psychologist’s Perspective on Transgenerational Transmissions of Guilt

Not only wars, but also genocides and crimes against humanity have shaped and shaken the 20th century. Their traces can still be found today in the psyche not only of the people affected, but also of their descendants. Particularly as a result of the Holocaust, psychoanalysts became aware of the effects that traumas of the victims had on their descendants. They had introjected the anger and shame of their parents in the emotional atmosphere of their families.

 

To Trust is to Survive : Toward a Developmental Model of Moral Injury

Research on trauma- and stressor-related disorders has recently expanded to consider moral injury, or the harmful psychological impact of profound moral transgressions, betrayals, and acts of perpetration. Largely studied among military populations, this construct has rarely been empirically extended to children and adolescents despite its relevance in the early years, as well as youths’ potentially heightened susceptibility to moral injury due to ongoing moral development and limited social resources relative to adults.

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