Vietnam Veterans: A Study Exploring Adjustment Patterns and Attitudes

The veterans interviewed in this study indicate that the adjustment processes that they face upon return to civilian life are unusually difficult and complex. Severe depression, hostility, and guilt characterize many of them. The veteran's perception of the extent and intensity of his combat involvement as well as his participation in atrocities is closely related to his overall adjustment to civilian life. Intraception versus authoritarianism on the part of these veterans tends to differentiate between those who withdraw and are apathetic upon return and those who find employment or schooling and are in favor of the war effort. Race is also a discriminating factor, with black and Mexican‐American veterans being far more often unemployed, opposed to the war, and perceiving themselves as less able to control their own personal world.