Psychological Aspects of War - Essay Example

Psychological Aspects of War and Scholl School Location: Semester: Psychological Aspects of War Mental health consequences of war cannot be denied. There are manifold psychological influences of war on the minds of civilians and also of the armed personnel and their families. There is an increase in mental disorders, especially in vulnerable groups as children, elderly, women, and the disabled. I chose this topic because I am interested in how people cope with the trauma of war, and what can be done to help them deal with it.

The servicemen develop moral injury when they have to commit combat acts that contradict with their inner beliefs. Moral injury is defined as “perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations” (Litz et al., as cited in Maguen & Litz, 2012, p.1). Moral injury creates disastrous impacts on the psychological health of the veterans as they have no other option to conform to the acts that contradict with their personal ethical and moral boundaries.

Moreover, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs in the civilians as well. They, most of the times, do not know how to cope with the stress or the trauma of war. Hence, they need proper psychological support and guidance to deal with it. Prevalence is more in children, women and the elderly. The disabled also develop PTSD. PTSD symptoms of war show in the decreased ability of the victims to deal with everyday life as well as a loss of interest in life on the whole. Much research has been done on the psychological impacts of war both on the veterans and the civilians.

Genetic factors also play their role in developing PTSD, because the person becomes more stressed if it is in his genes. Environmental factors also play their role. These include destruction sights, job disturbance, loss of friends and family, lack of moral and health support, and the like. There are a myriad of psychological and psychiatric treatments to deal with war related PTSD. States can assign professionals to the PTSD victims who engage them in counseling. Psychotherapy, cognitive therapy and exposure therapy is provided.

Medication is also provided which includes anti-depressants like Prazosin. Homeopathic treatments are also provided along with holistic support. The psychological effect of war does not only target one person. Instead, it encompasses all the significant others in the family. The spouse, children, parents, and also the friends get affected. Stress and anxiety tend to create a dramatic effect on the whole family. If one person is going through war related depression, it influences others’ routines and attitudes significantly.

Long-term effects include recurrent reminders of the trauma of war; avoidance of tasks that remind the victim if the war trauma; negativity in mood; and, becoming defensive purposelessly. Calming the overstimulated nervous system is the first step toward recovery. To conclude, I believe that it is very important for the governments to provide all kinds of possible healthcare and psychological care to the veterans, their families, and the civilians. It is important to understand how war related PTSD destroys their internal peace which, if not stabilized, may lead to many significant destructive changes in their lives.

References Maguen, S., & Litz, B. (2012). Moral injury in veterans of war. PTSD Research Quarterly, 23(1), pp. 1-6.