The impact of posttraumatic stress disorder in military situations

The constant threat to life and gruesome sights and sounds of war take thei r toll on the soldier psychologically as well as physically. A significant number of war veterans suffer from a wide range of debilitating psychologic al symptoms that vary in duration. For some the symptoms are transient, whi le for others profound and prolonged psychological and somatic sequelae man ifest in the form of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other comorbi d conditions. This article reviews current understanding regarding combat s tress reaction-often the first indicator of psychological breakdown and pos ttraumatic sequelae. The longer-term detrimental consequences of PTSD and t he impact of secondary traumatization, reactivation, and delayed-onset PTSD are also addressed.