Tasks and Functions in Dealing with Combat Stress Reactions,
Abstract
The tasks and functions needed to be performed for recognizing and dealing with stress reactions can be broken down into four areas of responsibility: individual soldiers, leaders, AMEDD personnel, and mental health personnel. Each level of responsibility has similar types of decisions to make with regard to psychiatric casualties; however, the degree of intervention becomes more sophisticated with the decision to move a stress casualty away from the combat situation. The term psychiatric casualty or transient battle reaction/battle fatigue refers to transient emotional reactions to the stresses of combat. The manifestations may be either psychological and/or physical; they represent a collection of ineffectiveness conditions with varying organic, psychological, social, cognitive, motivational, and political components (Rath, 1980). The symptoms may change in a matter of several hours to several days, depending upon the individual, the nature of the combat, and how the casualty is labeled. A soldier who becomes a psychiatric casualty is ineffective in his combat role for reasons other than wounds, organic disease or ineptitude.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADP003997
Entities
People
- A. D. Mangelsdorff
Organizations
- Academy of Health Sciences