Senior Project Advisor
Aaron Smith
Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Winter 2022
Keywords
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Deficit-based perspective, Post-traumatic Growth, Asset-based Perspective, Veteran, Media, Reintegration, Stigma
Abstract
The lives of individuals are affected by the narrative created by the majority. This societal narrative is oftentimes distorted, reflecting the attitudes showcased in the media, resulting in the alienation of certain populations. Veterans diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one such group and the focus of this activist essay. Despite the grievous sacrifices made in the name of honor, freedom, and national security, American veterans continue to wage a war closer to home as they struggle to reintegrate into society. The portrayal of war experiences in traditional media (i.e. News networks) and productions media (i.e. cinema) propagates stigmatization as it popularizes deficit-based perspectives. This popularization of deficit-based perspectives becomes an expectation in the public narrative, stereotyping veterans as hostile and preventing reintegration. A key argument of this essay is to popularize Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) to normalize asset-based perspectives within the public narrative of veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Normalizing PTG to the extent that it becomes an expected outcome of trauma is the key to helping veterans reintegrate, ultimately allowing a highly skilled population to contribute to the advancement of American society.
Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Nel, Clairiz, "Disrupting Social Order: Proposed Mechanisms to Altering Societal Perceptions on the Outcomes of Trauma in Veterans Diagnosed with PTSD" (2022). WWU Honors College Senior Projects. 550.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/550
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Veterans--Mental health; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Veteran reintegration; Posttraumatic growth
Genre/Form
essays
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf