Stress, wounds, injuries, and meaning

Exposure to traumatic events in general, and to war in particular, is associated with a variety of negative emotional consequences, one of the most common of which is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, according to the U.S. Institute of Medicine, between 4 and 20 percent of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom subsequently experienced PTSD (Institute of Medicine, 2013). PTSD has the potential to present severe challenges to close relationships, including loss of intimacy, conflict, and hostility (Institute of Medicine, 2013).