Reference:
Barry, A. E., Whiteman, S. D., & MacDermid Wadsworth, S. M. (2012). Implications of posttraumatic stress among military-affiliated and civilian students. Journal of American College Health, 60(8), 562-573. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2012.721427
Summary:
The “new” G.I. Bill provides monetary assistance for the educational and housing needs of military personnel to pursue higher education. Although the new G.I. bill removes appreciable obstacles, such as tuition and fees, that could prevent military personnel/veterans from continuing their education, there are other burdens plaguing service members higher education. Specifically, psychological and cognitive injuries such as PTSD and depression, are associated with deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. These issues may be disproportionately common relative to the physical injuries more often attributed to war. To address this issue, the authors aimed to determine whether the unique experiences of student service members/veterans resulted in “invisible wounds” above and beyond those experienced by their civilian counterparts, and to determine the degree to which PTS symptoms among military affiliated students are associated with alcohol-related consequences and academic performance.