American Veterans and the Evolution of Mental Health: A Historical Review of Diagnoses and Depiction

Abstract

This article reviews the interwoven history surrounding mental health diagnoses and military veteran depictions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Including a detailed historical review focusing on three major time periods: WWI-Korean War (1915-1950s); Vietnam War (1960s-1980s); and the Gulf/Middle East conflicts (1981-Present). By noting prevailing connections throughout these time periods, including the continuity of stigma and the depictions of veterans as well as the evolution of changing interpretations in what images and depictions of veterans mean including their associated social and political usages. Finally, a number of implications, both positive and negative surrounding the interconnected nature of veterans and mental health (namely PTSD), are offered, with recommendations for future inquiry and policy.

Keywords

• veterans, mental health, ptsd, military, shell shock, post-vietnam