Looking back and ahead: some perspectives of military psychiatry

ABSTRACT

Military psychiatry is a branch of psychiatry that is concerned with the mental health of soldiers and their families in war and peace time. It emerged as a special field of importance after World War I. With changing combat scenarios, peace keeping operations and terrorism modern soldier is obliged to confront and endure wide ranging demands for adjustment; with battle fronts becoming diffuse and coming closer to home unarmed civilians are sucked into war like situations. Military sychiatrists as well as their civilian counter parts need to be aware of the essentials of the mental health consequences of military operations of various kinds and related situations.