Rise of the Fallen Soldier: A Look into post-traumatic growth in military personnel

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The soldiers of our nation, fight day and night to ensure our lives are comfortable and peaceful. And in return what do they get? Honour, respect and a whole bag of trauma. One must wonder as to how these military personnel deal with such intense trauma. 

Serving in the military may expose one to traumatizing experiences that are not commonly experienced by us civilians. War zone deployment, accidents during training and military sexual trauma (or, MST) may lead to PTSD. Different types of wars have different kinds of impact on an individual which again causes different types of PTSDs. Seven out of every hundred veterans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Additionally, compared to male veterans (6 out of 100), female veterans (13 out of 100) are more likely to be diagnosed with  PTSD. 

At this point, a military psychologist plays a crucial role in assisting these soldiers by helping them recover and return to their prior way of living. PTSD has been demonstrated to respond well to cognitive behavioural therapies, various types of which  are regarded as “first-line treatments.” Globally, cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and extended exposure therapy (PE), two of the most researched forms of CBT, are advised for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

In CPT, the therapist assists the patient in recognising distressing ideas associated with the event, comprehending how those thoughts might lead to stress, swapping out those thoughts, and managing the distressing emotions.

It has been demonstrated that 60% of PTSD-affected veterans respond well to PE therapy. Repeatedly going over the trauma in a secure, therapeutic environment throughout treatment teaches the patient how to manage stressful and fear-inducing situations in the future and helps them modify how they respond to memories of traumatic events. It takes about 12 weekly sessions for both PE and CPT treatments to be completed. 

The once controversial technique EMDR or Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing has been gaining support and is currently suggested by a variety of practice recommendations as an efficient treatment for PTSD in both civilian and combat-related situations.

An individual needs to grow out of their traumas. Being stuck in a hellfire of thoughts and emotions brings joy to no one. To accomplish this, post-traumatic growth is necessary for patients suffering from PTSD. Post-traumatic growth is defined as positive psychological, social, or spiritual growth after a trauma. In addition to external characteristics including social, socioeconomic, mental health, and demographic factors, it is tied to an individual's affect and values before the upsetting occurrence. For instance, there is a correlation between such growth in reduced levels of depression and greater levels of social support.

Several variables increase the possibility of psychological growth in the aftermath of trauma. These variables include cognitive processing, engagement, or rumination; disclosure of concerns surrounding traumatic events; the reactions of others to self-disclosures; the sociocultural context in which traumas occur and attempts to process, disclose, and resolve trauma; the personal dispositions of the survivor and the degree to which they are resilient; and the degree to which events either permit or suppress the aforementioned processes. This is based on the recent version of Janoff-Bulman’s Post-traumatic growth model which addresses how posttraumatic growth may relate to wisdom, life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose in life.

The theorists supporting post-traumatic growth do not intend to encourage the expectation that trauma survivors must achieve growth, nor do they wish to inflate expectations about how common growth may be among survivors, some of whom may experience shame when posttraumatic growth does not occur. However, a step towards achieving this growth is important in improving the overall quality of life of the affected individual. 

A study done by Habib et al. aimed to qualitatively examine the experience of post-traumatic growth (PTG) in military and ex-military personnel (Habib et al., 2018). A qualitative systematic study including 195 participants in total, including both military and ex-military personnel  found that six themes assisted in PTG. These were: an appreciation for life, re-evaluating sense of purpose, improvement of personal human traits, bonding and connecting with others, integrating into society, and being proud of the heritage and feeling valuable to society. These results portray that these six themes triumph over the process of PTG and assist the patient in overcoming their trauma. These factors are beneficial for civilians as well as military personnel. 

In conclusion, the journey of post-traumatic growth among military personnel is a testament to the resilience and strength inherent in the human spirit. As service members navigate the challenges of trauma, the crucial role played by military psychologists becomes evident. Through specialized interventions, compassionate support, and a comprehensive understanding of the unique stressors faced by those in the military, psychologists empower individuals to not only overcome adversity but also to emerge stronger and more resilient. 

It is essential to recognize and appreciate the vital role psychologists play in guiding military personnel towards a path of healing, self-discovery, and ultimately, flourishing beyond the confines of trauma.



References 

Habib, A., Stevelink, S., Greenberg, N., & Williamson, V. (2018). Post-traumatic growth in (ex-) military personnel: review and qualitative synthesis. Occupational Medicine, 68(9), 617–625. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqy140 

Reisman, M. (2016, October 1). PTSD treatment for veterans: What’s working, what’s new, and what’s next. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047000/ 

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs. (n.d.).  https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_veterans.asp 


About the author 

Muskaan Kalaria is a second-year student pursuing a BSc in Psychology at NMIMS SDSOS. She is passionate about creating art which is expressed in the form of painting, graphic designing and writing. Her passion for writing started as a method of expressing herself which later progressed into devotion towards scientific reading and writing. She enjoys her free time listening to music and exploring and reading about fascinating topics.











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