STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERSIAN GULF

File: 110596_sep96_decls2_0029.txt
Page: 0029
Total Pages: 48

Subject: STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERSIAN GULF        

Unit: VAR. BUMED  

Parent Organization: BUMED       

Box ID: BX303818

Folder Title: USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992                                                  

Document Number:          4

Folder SEQ  #:         13










              (Norman, 1986). Several studies documented a high incidence

              of PTSD among Vietnam era nurses (Baker, 1989; Norman,

              1986). Navy nurses must possess superior clinical skills

              but they often serve primarily as supervisors, mentors,

              teachers, disciplinarians, and surrogate parents for young

              corpsman (Shiffer, 1990). In a stirring account of her

              experiences in Viet Nam, RADM Frances Shea (1983) described

              how she was called upon to become a 11 ... substitute mother,

              wife, lover, sister - the shoulder to cry on." She went on

              to say, however, that nurses 11... would not share (their own

              trauma) with anyone." They simply "toughed it out", and

              paid the consequences later.

                   An increase in patients, violent activity was noted by

              hospital ship psychiatrists during the Viet Nan conflict and

              was attributed to the situational approval of external

              aggression (Strange, 1967). Training in the control of

              violent patients and the use of physical restraints is

              important to all corpsman and nurses.

                   Many of the crew had young children at home.

              Conversations in lounges, at dinner, and before sleep often

              contained themes of loss, loneliness, and sadness. Several

              people asked for formal mental health consultations because

              they were dreaming that their children had died or that

              their families would be gone. A group was formed to cope

              with the separation. This tight-knit group of parents




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Document 48 f:/Week-39/BX303818/USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992/stress and coping with trauma of war in the pers:1104960910243
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-39
Box ID = BX303818
Unit = VAR. BUMED
Parent Organization = BUMED
Folder Title = USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992
Folder Seq # = 13
Subject = STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERS
Document Seq # = 4
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 04-NOV-1996