Literature Review

Post Traumatic Stress and Female Soldiers

Literature Review

Post traumatic stress disorder is referred to a severe condition that may develop in an individual when he or she is exposed to any traumatic event throughout the life. These events may include serious injury, sexual assault or a threat of death. Post traumatic stress occurs due to a continuous flashbacks that disturbs the individuals after the occurrence of the traumatic event. It is significant that majority of the people who experience any sort of traumatic event are likely to develop a post traumatic stress disorder. A very important finding is that women are more likely to suffer from the post traumatic stress disorder.

It is studied that post traumatic disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder, but the common symptoms of this disorder are not visible before the exposure of the violent traumatic events. It is further researched that the individual with a post traumatic stress disorder ignores all emotions and thoughts and is also likely to feel amnesia for it. It is very common that such an individual would experience recurrent recollections, nightmares and flashbacks. The symptoms of this order are considered to be acute if lasting less than three months, and are considered chronic if persisting three months or more. It is also very important to note that post traumatic stress disorder could cause clinical impairment in some important areas of functioning in an individual.

Causes of Post Traumatic Stress

There are different causes of post traumatic stress to individuals. A very important finding is that this disorder is significantly found in women as compared to men. It is widely believed that post traumatic stress is caused by the experience of a range of traumatic events that have occurred previously in an individual's life. The effects of the trauma could be extreme in persons with no predisposing conditions. The most significant people who could be have post traumatic stress disorder include military personnel, concentration camp survivors, natural disaster victims, and victims of violent crime. The most common causes of post traumatic stress disorder include witnessing or experiencing a stressor event involving serious injury, death or an extreme threat to self or others involving intense horror, fear, or lack of power. The people who are employed in occupations which expose them to violence or disasters such as emergency service workers and military personnel are at increased risk to develop post traumatic stress disorder.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Female Soldiers

Two findings have been very significant. Firstly, post traumatic stress disorders have been very common in women, and secondly it is experienced by military officers. So, the core focus of this literature is to identify the most important findings from the existing literature about the post traumatic stress disorder in female soldiers. It has been observed that there are around 200,000 female personnel serving in the United States military. It is significant that females are barred from combating, so the provide their services in support positions in the combat ...