Abstract
Copyright: © 2014 Johnson OJ. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. African Americans have participated in every war fought by or with the United States and have suffered both during the war and when they return home [1]. Currently, African Americans make up 17% of the total U.S. military fighting force while comprising only 13.60% of the total U.S. population [2]. The stressors that African American military servicemen experience are both multi-layered and interconnected. Like many veterans, African Americans return to American soil often feeling isolated, unsupported and alone. However, for Black soldiers and veterans, the compounded stress of experiencing mental health challenges associated with the horrors of combat, facing institutional racism, and having to struggle to acquire necessary resources and supports upon returning home can be far too much to endure. It is important for clinicians to understand the unique cultural experiences of African American veterans in order for culturally competent treatment to be provided. In this article, we contend that identifying culturally salient components of complex psychological trauma in African American veterans and active duty soldiers contributes to substantial differences in clinical conceptualizations, assessment, and clinical treatment interventions for this population. Additionally, we posit that understanding culturally specific reactions to trauma exposure, namely, the compounded nature of combat-related PTSD and cultural trauma (i.e., ‘Post Trauma Slavery Syndrome’ or the ‘African American Psychic Trauma’), may provide important insights into specific vulnerabilities and expressions of illness that could inform treatment planning and delivery.
Highlights
African Americans have participated in every war fought by or with the United States and have suffered both during the war and when they return home [1]
Logan et al [10] highlight the intergenerational impact of slavery, institutional racism, discrimination, and oppression on the emotional and psychological health of African Americans
It is important to note that racism, oppression, and discriminatory treatment was inherent in military service as it was in the larger American society [11]
Summary
African Americans have participated in every war fought by or with the United States and have suffered both during the war and when they return home [1]. Because African American veterans suffer from these and other various forms of combat-related and racial trauma, their treatment needs are unique, specific, and warrant adequately trained health care providers who are prepared to meet these needs.
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