The incidence of episodes of harassment and rape among military populations has only recently been examined. In the present study, a sample of 336 female veterans in a primary care setting was assessed. The incidences of lifetime sexual victimization, anxiety, depression, and impact of trauma for victims of specific trauma contexts are presented. Results of the study indicated that female veterans with a history of cumulative rape experiences and civilian rape experiences are more at risk for anxiety and depression than those with only a military experience of rape. No significant differences were found for impact of event scores for different contexts of rape, however. Reporting of trauma was not associated with psychological well-being for women veterans. The results highlight the role of the socioenvironmental context of abuse as an important variable to examine, especially in military populations.

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In May 2000, the College of International and Continuing Education and the History Department at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) sponsored an innovative study-abroad course on the history of the Vietnam War. As part of the course, three Vietnam combat veterans accompanied eight undergraduate and eight graduate history students to Vietnam. The course’s staff included three members of the history faculty, a social-work faculty member, a psychologist, and a cameraman. This precedent-setting study abroad course integrated the teaching of Vietnam culture and military history with an exploration of the mental health aspects of combat and post-war recovery of Vietnam veterans. This article discusses lessons learned in designing and implementing the course, and implications regarding the integration of history education and therapeutic mental health objectives.

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