Aftermath.

The series concludes with reports on the experiences of those who suffered shell shock, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Falklands War, the Vietman War, Northern Ireland and the 1991 Gulf War. It is now recognised that active service can result in a permanent mental injury. Stephen Hughes, a medical officer in the Gulf War, describes how troops were prepared for the harrowing events of battle and for battleshock, and discusses the problems which can emerge after they are demobbed. The destructive effects of PTSD are described by veterans of the Falklands War and Northern Ireland. In the latter campaign, however, the army failed to acknowledge the peculiar stresses of that situation and very little psychiatric provision was made. The tragic story of one solider's breakdown after being demobbed brings home the seriousness of PTSD. In the Gulf War psychiatric casualties were anticipated but no amount of preparation and battlefront provision of psychiatric facilities can shield soldiers from situations which may cause lifelong mental distress. Nor could the army overcome its own suspicion of psychiatry and psychiatric casualties.