The mental health care crisis among military veterans in the United States has become a national concern in recent years, sparking questions regarding the quality of psychological care provided by veteran’s welfare programs. However, this is not a contemporary issue as the field of veteran’s psychological support has experienced a tumultuous evolution since the formation of the country. One of the most influential events that sparked this evolution was The Civil War. The mental health services provided to Civil War veterans immediately following the war was limited to severe cases of mental illness. Veterans who experienced mild to moderate symptoms relied on a range of sources for support, from family and community care to governmental assistance programs, which included soldier homes and the pension system. While these services didn’t directly address issues of mental health, they were often repurposed to assist psychologically disabled veterans. This patchwork system of aid provided veterans with medical care, shelter, and financial compensation. However, the pension system and soldier homes enforced eligibility requirements for services significantly limiting the accessibility of such aid. As the requirements for eligibility eased, more psychologically disabled veterans qualified for governmental aid. The remainder of veterans who continued to be unqualified for professional assistance turned to the only source of support left: their families and communities. Alone these sources were inadequate in providing the necessary support for many psychologically disabled veterans. Together, they created a patchwork system of support that provided Civil War veterans with a variety of care options with a range of basic treatments, which often proved to be ineffective by 19th century standards. This quantity over quality approach to treating psychological disorders expanded the coverage of care for veterans but it failed to improve its services leaving countless veterans without proper support. As contemporary veteran’s welfare programs continue to approach the mental health crisis with a similar philosophy emphasizing extensive yet ineffective treatments, it’s critical to understand how this system of care benefited and ultimately hindered psychologically disabled veterans.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
History
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Veterans--Mental health
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Veterans--Mental health
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TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_6972
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
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application/pdf
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text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (xii, 99 p.)
Note (type = degree)
M.A.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Sarah A.M. Ford
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - Newark Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore10002600001
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.