Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

Washington Post reporter Donna St. George tells the story of Trinette Johnson, an Iraq War veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. St. George summarizes the latest research on how trauma affects men and women and she describes the challenges facing female veterans. St. George writes:

For women who are mothers, combat-related PTSD may have added significance. Often, after war, "it's not the same mommy who left," said Yale University associate professor Laurie Harkness, who runs a Veterans Affairs mental health clinic in Connecticut. Although the same can be said for fathers, she said, "mothers in general are the emotional hub of a family."