Psychiatrist Jonathan Shay, who consults with the military on the stress soldiers returning home from Iraq will face, host a question-and-answer session at 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 8 in Whitley Auditorium, before a public lecture at 7:30 p.m., also in Whitley.
Shay, who has treated Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder at the VA Hospital in Boston for 20 years, speaks frequently to military personnel on the prevention of psychological trauma resulting from combat. He was a special adviser to the Pentagon in 2004, consulting with military leaders on ways to reduce the psychological stress experienced by soldiers. According to a 2004 Washington Post article, “Shay has become a passionate advocate of the three things that he has concluded reduce the trauma of war on soldiers: keeping members of units together, giving them good leadership, and putting them through intense and realistic training.”
Shay has written two highly-acclaimed books, “Achilles in Vietnam” and “Odysseus in America,” comparing the stress of modern soldiers with the stress suffered by soldiers in ancient wars. He is also a contributor to the forthcoming book, “Achilles in Iraq.”