Vicarious Trauma Real, But Factor in Homicide?

After the Fort Hood murders this past week, three big questions about post-traumatic stress are revived in the media. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist who had carried out research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on post trauma treatment and cared for soldiers returning from overseas, decided to purchase a small variety of weapons and shoot more than thirteen people. And it was not the first time Fort Hood had experienced post-trauma violence around the base.

First, the case has revived discussions about how powerful secondary or "vicarious" traumatization can be. Vicarious traumatization is when a care-giver, psycho-therapist, or interviewer is traumatized from prolonged exposure to their patients' or clients' emotional stories about trauma. It can also arise from living near a fighting area and absorbing indirectly the suffering of others. Professionals, spouses and friends simply want to know what they can do to prepare or treat themselves to make sure that they move forward comfortably or intact. Second, those who live or work with people who have war-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may wonder what factors lead to a manifestation of violent behavior. Fort Hood alone has seen domestic murder, suicide, and mass killing related to soldiers returning or preparing to disembark for the war front.

Finally, and this is the most delicate one, the broader public is wondering to what extent someone like Major Hasan may be linked to external influences which may have encouraged violent behavior. In this case, although in the early days it was seen as an isolated incident, there is new suspicion that Major Hasan was linked to a Yemeni-American jihadist named, Anwar al Alwaki, who not only preached anti-Americanism before the attack at Major Hasan's former mosque, but then celebrated the murders on his website. Fortunately, the Pentagon has already come out in support - at least in spirit if not yet in resources, pressure is needed on that side - to soldiers who may experience not only PTSD but vicarious PTSD. The leadership has also been careful to treat the Hasan case as isolated, not to assume any links to jihadists are sure until proven, and to encourage soldiers not to pre-judge fellow servicemen and women. Stay tuned for more on these subjects here on War.Change.org.

[Photo: US Army]