Abstract
This autoethnographic study focuses on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among U.S. veterans and the policies and practices that impact life outcomes. The research answers the questions: (1) what insights emerge from the author’s embedded advocacy experience; (2) what systemic barriers impede veterans’ access to PTSD treatment; and (3) how does military culture shape help-seeking behavior. This research draws on the author’s multigenerational and institutional ties to military service—as descendant of a Korean-era veteran, Marine and Army servicemember, VA employee, and veteran advocate. The researcher constructs detailed autoethnographic and composite narratives of the lived experiences of service members who develop PTSD, from enlistment to boot camp to deployment to reintegration into civilian culture post-service. This long view provides insights into how these different phases impact one another within particular lives. Throughout the narrative, lived experience is connected to policy, research, and to both disability and social theory. Core themes include military culture’s emphasis on stoicism, systemic barriers within the VA and broader healthcare systems, stigma surrounding disability, challenges in reintegration, and the social and psychological implications of untreated PTSD. The study concludes by advocating for policy reform, improved access to evidence-based care, and greater public and professional awareness of the complexities involved in military service, in order to better serve veterans with PTSD.
","abstract_html":"<p><strong> </strong><strong> Abstract</strong></p> <p>This autoethnographic study focuses on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among U.S. veterans and the policies and practices that impact life outcomes. The research answers the questions: (1) what insights emerge from the author’s embedded advocacy experience; (2) what systemic barriers impede veterans’ access to PTSD treatment; and (3) how does military culture shape help-seeking behavior. This research draws on the author’s multigenerational and institutional ties to military service—as descendant of a Korean-era veteran, Marine and Army servicemember, VA employee, and veteran advocate. The researcher constructs detailed autoethnographic and composite narratives of the lived experiences of service members who develop PTSD, from enlistment to boot camp to deployment to reintegration into civilian culture post-service. This long view provides insights into how these different phases impact one another within particular lives. Throughout the narrative, lived experience is connected to policy, research, and to both disability and social theory. Core themes include military culture’s emphasis on stoicism, systemic barriers within the VA and broader healthcare systems, stigma surrounding disability, challenges in reintegration, and the social and psychological implications of untreated PTSD. The study concludes by advocating for policy reform, improved access to evidence-based care, and greater public and professional awareness of the complexities involved in military service, in order to better serve veterans with PTSD.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Stansbury, Christopher L"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ed.D. Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation - Public Access","degree_discipline":"Disability and Equity in Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Terry J. Smith, PhD","Sara Efron, PhD","Todd Price, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2026-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:46Z","subjects":["PTSD","Advocacy","Veterans","Policy","Disability Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/999","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Terry J. Smith, PhD","Sara Efron, PhD","Todd Price, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Stansbury, Christopher L"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-07-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Disability and Equity in Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Public Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["PTSD","Advocacy","Veterans","Policy","Disability Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/999"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Abstract
This autoethnographic study focuses on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among U.S. veterans and the policies and practices that impact life outcomes. The research answers the questions: (1) what insights emerge from the author’s embedded advocacy experience; (2) what systemic barriers impede veterans’ access to PTSD treatment; and (3) how does military culture shape help-seeking behavior. This research draws on the author’s multigenerational and institutional ties to military service—as descendant of a Korean-era veteran, Marine and Army servicemember, VA employee, and veteran advocate. The researcher constructs detailed autoethnographic and composite narratives of the lived experiences of service members who develop PTSD, from enlistment to boot camp to deployment to reintegration into civilian culture post-service. This long view provides insights into how these different phases impact one another within particular lives. Throughout the narrative, lived experience is connected to policy, research, and to both disability and social theory. Core themes include military culture’s emphasis on stoicism, systemic barriers within the VA and broader healthcare systems, stigma surrounding disability, challenges in reintegration, and the social and psychological implications of untreated PTSD. The study concludes by advocating for policy reform, improved access to evidence-based care, and greater public and professional awareness of the complexities involved in military service, in order to better serve veterans with PTSD.
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This autoethnographic study focuses on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among U.S. veterans and the policies and practices that impact life outcomes. The research answers the questions: (1) what insights emerge from the author’s embedded advocacy experience; (2) what systemic barriers impede veterans’ access to PTSD treatment; and (3) how does military culture shape help-seeking behavior. This research draws on the author’s multigenerational and institutional ties to military service—as descendant of a Korean-era veteran, Marine and Army servicemember, VA employee, and veteran advocate. The researcher constructs detailed autoethnographic and composite narratives of the lived experiences of service members who develop PTSD, from enlistment to boot camp to deployment to reintegration into civilian culture post-service. This long view provides insights into how these different phases impact one another within particular lives. Throughout the narrative, lived experience is connected to policy, research, and to both disability and social theory. Core themes include military culture’s emphasis on stoicism, systemic barriers within the VA and broader healthcare systems, stigma surrounding disability, challenges in reintegration, and the social and psychological implications of untreated PTSD. The study concludes by advocating for policy reform, improved access to evidence-based care, and greater public and professional awareness of the complexities involved in military service, in order to better serve veterans with PTSD.
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