Trauma And The Vietnam War Generation

Report Of Findings From The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study

Richard A. Kulka

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781138004702
• eBook ISBN: 9781317772484
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Surveys psychiatric disorders among Vietnam veterans.

Chapter XIII

Epilogue: “A Self-Guide for Vietnam Veterans”

by David A. Grady

Historically the epilogue is a dramatic device used in theater. It is a commentary upon a play, which is delivered following the production. An epilogue allows the author to speak to the audience outside the body of the actual work. The purpose is usually to present further dialogue to make the work more meaningful. Following this tradition, Chapter XIII is meant to serve as a kind of epilogue—to provide commentary that goes beyond the study it follows with the expressed goal of making that work more valuable to you, the audience.

This chapter is written specifically for veterans and those who care about their readjustment. It avoids, as much as possible, the use of jargon and data in making its points. In addition to further clarification of topics already presented, the chapter contains new material that expands upon that found in the study. A summary of the study’s major findings is provided, as is a more detailed explanation of post-traumatic stress disorder and a historical context for understanding the psychological readjustment of Vietnam veterans. Finally, solutions for those who need help for their readjustment problems, particularly PTSD, are offered.

The Importance of the NVVRS

The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) stands as arguably the finest mental health epidemiologic study ever completed. It represents a significant advance compared with previous large-scale studies of Vietnam veterans’ psychological readjustment (i.e., Centers for Disease Control Vietnam Experience Study, 1988; Egendorf, Kadushin, Laufer, Rothbart, & Sloan, 1981). The value of this study comes from the quality of its sample and the ambitious and rigorous manner in which it conceptualized and measured psychological readjustment and postwar psychological problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study sample is clearly the most representative group of Vietnam veterans yet employed by researchers, and as such it allows for a high degree of confidence in its findings. It can be assumed that the readjustment of the veterans documented in this study is likely quite comparable to that of all other living Vietnam veterans. In addition, the study utilized the best existing measures of war-zone stress, PTSD, and other postwar psychological problems. When necessary it developed more accurate measures of these variables. It also utilized multiple measures for important variables, the most important of which being PTSD, in order to be sensitive to their presence. The NVVRS has through its creative approach both extended earlier research and set the standard for future studies.

Major Findings

Although very complex, the NVVRS can be distilled into some simple truths about the readjustment of Vietnam veterans today. Though such an endeavor does not do justice to the study as a whole, it allows us, freed from many details, to focus on the larger picture. Following are six significant findings that are central to understanding Vietnam veterans’ current readjustment.

Most Vietnam Veterans Have Successfully Readjusted

The NVVRS’s most important finding is that today the majority of veterans who served in Southeast Asia have, through whatever pain and suffering they experienced, successfully readjusted and become contributing members of society. They currently experience few symptoms of PTSD or other readjustment problems. This has to be grat...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Editorial Note
• Preface
• I. The Challenge: Finding and Studying the Vietnam War Generation
• II. Those Who Served in the Vietnam War Era
• III. Evidence of Stress Reactions
• IV. Evidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• V. Why is it that Some Developed PTSD and Others did not?
• VI. The Prevalence of Other Psychiatric Disorders and Nonspecific Distress
• VII. The Prevalence of Other Postwar Readjustment Problems
• VIII. The Prevalence of Physical Health Problems
• IX. Use of Physical and Mental Health Services
• X. PTSD Among Vietnam Veterans: A Family Perspective
• XI. Recommendations for Future Study
• XII. Overview
• XIII. Epilogue: A Self-Guide for Vietnam Veterans
• References
• Index
• Contributing Authors