The Psychology and Physiology of Stress

The Psychology and Physiology of Stress investigates the psychological and physiological consequences of stress caused by the Vietnam War. It includes the contributions of the representatives of the US Armed Forces and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Furthermore, it summarizes advances both in the clinical and research spheres that have evolved from the conflict.
This book begins with a brief historical review of psychiatric disorders associated with combat, with emphasis on changes in their frequency, terminology, and manifestations. It is followed by chapters dealing with the organization and development of US Army psychiatry in Vietnam, psychiatry in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam Forces), and psychiatric disorders of Marine and Naval personnel who have been evacuated to an offshore-based hospital ship. The book also explains the patterns of psychiatric attrition and behavior in the combat zone; steroid and other biochemical responses to combat stress, which involve measurements of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, androgens, and various phospholipid fractions; heat stress in army pilots in Vietnam; background characteristics, attitudes, and self-concepts of air force psychiatric casualties from Southeast Asia; and stress and fatigue monitoring of naval aviators during aircraft carrier combat operations. The book concludes with a chapter on progress in combat psychiatry after the Vietnam War.
This book is a valuable resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, and healthcare and military personnel concerned with the effects of combat-induced stress.

Contenu

List of Contributors
Preface
Introduction
I. World War I
II. Between WW I and WW II
III. World War II
IV. The Korean War
V. Viet Nam
VI. Biochemical Responses in Combat
VII. Summary
References

1. Army Psychiatry in Viet Nam
   I. Introduction
   II. Historical Background
   III. Psychiatric Programs in the Republic of Viet Nam Prior to August 1965
   IV. Psychiatric Organization in Viet Nam, 1965-1968
   V. Problems in Psychological Adjustment in Viet Nam
   VI. Treatment Methods
   VII. Statistical Trends
   VIII. Evaluation of Statistical Trends
   IX. Summary
   References
2. Patterns of Psychiatric Attrition and of Behavior in a Combat Zone
   I. Introduction
   II. The Present Study
   III. Concluding Remarks
   References
3. Psychiatry in the Army of The Republic of Viet Nam
   I. Introduction
   II. Sociocultural Background
   III. Historical Background
   IV. Present Psychiatric Organization in the ARVN
   V. Statistical Data: N P Casualties in the ARVN during 1963-1967
   VI. Comments and Discussion
   VII. Conclusions
   References
4. Effects of Combat Stress on Hospital Ship Psychiatric Evacuees
   I. Introduction
   II. Functions and Facilities
   III. Intake Statistics
   IV. Combat as a Precipitating Stress
   V. Combat-Precipitated Psychiatric Syndromes
   VI. General Characteristics of Psychiatric Evacuees from Combat
   VII. Responses during Hospitalization and Treatment
   VIII. Treatment a n d Disposition
   IX. Summary
   References
5. Urinary 17-OHCS Levels in Two Combat Situations
   I. Introduction: Endocrinology and Stress
   II. Collection of Data
   III. Results: Urinary 17-Hydroxycorticosteroid Excretion
   IV. Discussion
   References
6. Androgen Excretion in Stress
   I. Psychoendocrinology
   II. Assessment of Androgen Activity
   III. Methods
   IV. Results
   V. Discussion
   VI. Summary
   References
7. Heat Stress in Army Pilots in Viet Nam
   I. Introduction
   II. Methods
   III. Results
   IV. Discussion
   V. Summary
   References
8. Background Characteristics, Attitudes, and Self-Concepts of Air Force Psychiatric Casualties from Southeast Asia
   I. Introduction
   II. Related Clinical Studies
   III. Research Methodology
   IV. Research Considerations
   V. Theoretical Considerations
   VI. Methods of Data Collection
   VII. Statistical Treatment of the Data
   VIII. Results
   IX. Discussion of Results
   X. Conclusions
   XI. Implications for Future Research
   Appendix A: Instructions for Judgments of Personality Traits (Characteristics)
   Appendix B: Definitions of Traits
   Appendix C: Categorization of Traits
   Appendix D: Q Sort Administration Instructions
   Appendix E: Actual-Self-Ideal-Self Correlation Coefficients and Fisher's z Equivalents for the Psychiatric Patient Sample
   References
9. A Review of Stress and Fatigue Monitoring of Naval Aviators during Aircraft Carrier Combat Operations: Blood and Urine Biochemical Studies
   I. Introduction
   II. Method
   III. Results
   IV. Discussion
   V. Conclusions
   References
10. Military Psychiatry and the Viet Nam War in Perspective
    I. Introduction
    II. Historical Background
    III. Current Concepts and the Contribution of the Viet Nam War
    IV. Conclusions
    References
    Subject Index