This chapter examines Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in military men through a gendered lens, arguing that hegemonic masculinities such as stoicism, self-reliance, and emotional restraint shape the development, presentation, and treatment of trauma. Tracing the historical evolution from “Soldier’s Heart” and “Shell Shock” to PTSD’s DSM recognition, the chapter shows how cultural expectations of masculinity have influenced diagnosis, stigma, and clinical response. It situates DSM symptom clusters within veterans’ lived realities, highlighting comorbidities including depression, substance use, and traumatic brain injury, as well as physiological dysregulation. The analysis demonstrates how masculine performance norms can delay help-seeking and complicate care. Reviewing psychological, pharmacological, and emerging interventions such as EMDR, mindfulness, exercise-based programmes, and MDMA-assisted therapies, the chapter underscores that effectiveness often depends on gender-sensitive delivery which reframes help-seeking as strength, leverages camaraderie, and integrates embodied practices. It concludes that trauma care for veterans must be culturally competent and intersectional, directly engaging masculine identities to reduce stigma, improve engagement, and align treatment with the social context of military life.

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PTSD in Military Men: Masculinities, Symptomology, and Treatment

  • James Alder

摘要

This chapter examines Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in military men through a gendered lens, arguing that hegemonic masculinities such as stoicism, self-reliance, and emotional restraint shape the development, presentation, and treatment of trauma. Tracing the historical evolution from “Soldier’s Heart” and “Shell Shock” to PTSD’s DSM recognition, the chapter shows how cultural expectations of masculinity have influenced diagnosis, stigma, and clinical response. It situates DSM symptom clusters within veterans’ lived realities, highlighting comorbidities including depression, substance use, and traumatic brain injury, as well as physiological dysregulation. The analysis demonstrates how masculine performance norms can delay help-seeking and complicate care. Reviewing psychological, pharmacological, and emerging interventions such as EMDR, mindfulness, exercise-based programmes, and MDMA-assisted therapies, the chapter underscores that effectiveness often depends on gender-sensitive delivery which reframes help-seeking as strength, leverages camaraderie, and integrates embodied practices. It concludes that trauma care for veterans must be culturally competent and intersectional, directly engaging masculine identities to reduce stigma, improve engagement, and align treatment with the social context of military life.