Cultural shift in mental illness: a comparison of stress responses in World War I and the Vietnam War

Abstract

ObjectivesPost-traumatic stress disorder is an established diagnostic category. In particular, over the past 20 years, there has been an interest in culture as a fundamental factor in post-traumatic stress disorder symptom manifestation. However, only a very limited portion of this literature studies the historical variability of post-traumatic stress within a particular culture.DesignTherefore, this study examines whether stress responses to violence associated with armed conflicts have been a culturally stable reaction in Western troops.SettingWe have compared historical records from World War I to those of the Vietnam War. Reference is also made to observations of combat trauma reactions in pre-World War I conflicts, World War II, the Korean War, the Falklands War, and the First Gulf War.ParticipantsThe data set consisted of literature that was published during and after these armed conflicts.Main outcome measuresAccounts of World War I Shell Shock that describe symptom presentation, incidence (both ac...