Researchers link ‘unfounded’ wars to increased risk of PTSD

New research suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder is linked to social morality, a finding that helps elucidate the relationship between politics and veterans’ mental health.

“The clinical psychological literature suggests that a key factor in PTSD experienced by soldiers at war is the guilt that is experienced from perpetrated acts of violence that violate moral standards,” the study’s lead author, David Webber of the University of Alberta, explained to Raw Story. “This is why in our study we focused on guilt-related symptoms. In the sense that killing is deemed immoral in most cases, and soldiers are asked to kill, it’s only if a soldier is able to view that killing as different or acceptable (i.e., moral), that guilt should not arise.”

The study, to be published in the April issue of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, found that social consensus played an important role in feelings of guilt. The research was co-authored by Jeff Schimell, Andy Martens, Joseph Hayes, and Erik H. Fauche.