Motherhood is also a major issue for female service members who are normally in their prime reproductive years. Concerns about pregnancy, being a mother, and breast-feeding are central, and being a mother and/or wife deploying not only leads to all types of emotional issues, but also personal growth.
Sexual Assault and Mental Health Disorders
Military sexual assault is a highly publicized area that is covered widely in both the scientific literature and the media. The number of cases reported has been rising, but this may be partially due to better reporting. In the military, as in the civilian world, this is not a simple issue, and many sexual activities are partially consensual, partially coercive. Sexual assault can lead to a myriad of mental health issues, including guilt, depression, PTSD, and substance abuse. In many cases, it can also lead to an exit from military service for both parties.
Posttraumatic stress disorder is a common consequence of combat. It has been studied widely in military men after Vietnam and during the Long War. It has also been widely studied in civilian women, especially after sexual assault. Far less is known about combat-related PTSD in military women; however, the available statistics show that military women have rates of combat-related PTSD at about the same rate as men. What we do not know is whether their PTSD symptoms are similar or different. Depression, suicide, and traumatic brain injury are also common sequelae that are covered in Women at War. Substance abuse and homelessness are likewise critically important areas but areas that need more research.
Conclusions
Medical and academic volumes rely on scientific evidence, which should lead to evidence-based practice. From that standpoint, Women at War has been a challenging one to put together, chiefly because there has been so little recent comprehensive data on the psychological and physical health of female service members. Nonetheless, this volume seeks to gather the data that are available, add anecdotal but universal information, translate it into actionable information for clinicians, and make recommendations for future research. Important take-home messages for the clinician include asking their patient about their overall military service, their experiences in the theater of war, and the positive and negative effects of that service.
Female service members are a vital part of the nation’s military and have been heavily deployed beside their male counterparts since the Persian Gulf War in 1990. The tragedy of 9/11 dramatically increased the operational tempo for all the troops.
It is hoped that this volume will stimulate more understanding of the experiences of female service members, women at war, in order to have the experience be a better one. Throughout this volume is implicit and/or explicit commentary on the lack of research data on gender issues in the military. Clearly, more targeted understanding is needed.
Author disclosures
The author reports no actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to this article.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the U.S. Government, or any of its agencies. This article may discuss unlabeled or investigational use of certain drugs.