Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is usually a soldier’s story. This pair of broadcasts tells, instead, the story of a couple. Peter and Anna Mohan were just married when Peter left to serve in the Army in Iraq. The story of how they tried to save their relationship when Peter returned suffering from PTSD is a poignant and precise depiction of war’s effects on everyday life. As reporter/producer Karen Brown wrote to the Dart Center, “My final impression was that, if all the love and understanding that was present in the Mohan marriage wasn’t enough to overcome PTSD, then this is truly a devastating condition with broad, public-health ramifications.”
Part One: Marriage Suffers Under the Strain of PTSD
05/28/2007
Reporter Karen Brown forgoes narration to let Anna and Peter Mohan's words tell the story of how their happy marriage has struggled since Peter returned from Iraq as a different person: “morose, withdrawn and, eventually, suicidal.” As the story ends, Peter is getting help for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but his future — and therefore their future — is uncertain.
Download or listen to part one:
Part Two: Divorce is Hidden Cost of Iraq War, Couple Says
12/18/2007
Six months later, Peter and Anna are getting a divorce: an increasingly common story among returning combat veterans. They share their story with Karen Brown to show that “love and understanding are not enough to battle a clinical condition like PTSD.”
Download or listen to part two:
Article Sections
Karen Brown
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Karen Brown covers health care and general assignment stories for WFCR public radio (Amherst, MA) - with a focus on mental health, children's issues, and community-based initiatives. Her features have aired nationally on National Public Radio, American RadioWorks, Marketplace Radio, Justice Talking, and other outlets.
Jill Kaufman
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Jill Kaufman is the news director at WFCR in Amherst, Massachusetts where she oversees newscasts, features and series reporting. She also reports on issues around western New England. Before coming to WFCR, Kaufman began the global resources desk at PRI’s “The World” at WGBH in Boston. As the executive editor, she commissioned American stories with international angles for the show; for stations, she provided international content to broaden local talk shows, reporter packages and other news production. Prior to her role at the global resources desk, Kaufman was a reporter at WGBH’s culture desk from 2001 to 2003. She created nationally distributed feature reports for NPR and PRI programs, covering the arts, education and New England history.
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