Abstract Introduction Current research would suggest that the long term psychological effects of military veterans Who served during the Northern Ireland Troubles have not yet been fully explored by way of in depth qualitative studies. Subsequently, this study aims to examine the psychological effects of military veterans who served during the Northern Ireland Troubles, focusing on four main themes which include, the lack of psychological support, long term health effects, long term psychological effects and the macho culture within the military.Methods The study has used a qualitative design process of semi structured interviews which involved eight participants, six males and two females, aged between 51 and 69. All of the participants had served within the military in various units during their tour of Northern Ireland. The interviews were later analysed by way of a thematic analysis which identified certain key words and repeated themes. ResultsThe results from the study suggest that veterans who were not offered any psychological support after experiencing traumatic incidents may have suffered long term health effects, which include delayed onset PTSD and anxiety issues. Five of the eight participants reported a diagnosis of late onset PTSD with one presenting undiagnosed symptoms. Furthermore, the study has also suggested that the macho culture and attitude within the military may actively discouraged personnel from seeking out mental health support, due to a perception of weakness, which may have also contributed to the development of late onset PTSD. Alcohol misuse was also an important factor with most participants reporting heavy alcohol use both during and long after their military service. Key words: Northern Ireland, Veterans, The Troubles, Operation Banner, late onset PTSD.
Cancer Risk Assessment and the Genetic Counseling Process: Using Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer as an Example
