Mary Paquette

The Aftermath of War: Spiritual Distress

Soldiers fighting in any war are subject to extreme and sometimes inhuman circumstances that test the limits of their psychological health. The experiences of war can live on forever in the hearts and minds of the troops who were forced to make survival and fighting for justice, peace, and safety their first priority. Unfortunately, the reality of war leaves many of our men and women gravely wounded, both physically and psychologically. This issue of Perspectives in Psychiatric Care is devoted to the accounts of the military’s mental health teams that are on the front lines, doing the initial assessments and immediate interventions, to preserve the dignity and mental and emotional integrity of the wounded soldiers. Thousands of veterans are in need of follow-up long-term psychiatric care when they return home, and the Veterans Administration services are stretched to the limit. Psychiatric advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) can play an important role in helping our troops return to a more normal and stable existence by understanding what the world of war is really like and how deeply it affects and changes the soldiers who fight for our country on a daily basis.