Negative stereotypes of veterans prone to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), violence and dangerous behaviour are fed by media stories, a McGill University researcher has found. Psychiatrist and professor Rob Whitley decided to pursue a similar study to those done in the U.S. about how the media portrays veterans in its coverage. What he found was a disproportionate number of articles about negative events, such as the 2017 murder-suicide involving Lionel Desmond, who killed his mother, wife and daughter before killing himself in Nova Scotia or veterans being involved in far-right criminal activity. “We didn’t find that this was truly balanced by stories which celebrated veterans and the contributions that they made while they were in the Canadian Armed Forces. But also since they’ve become veterans, many, many thousands working in communities, volunteering, giving their time,” said Whitley. Overly focused on PTSD Whitley’s team found that around 60 per cent of the articles about PTSD in veterans focused on crime, danger and violence. “There were very few articles which focused on recovery, rehabilitation, treatment, social integration,” he said. “We feel that logically, when a veteran reads these kind of articles, the PTSD ones, for example, if he or she suffers from PTSD, they might they’re going to think, ‘Well, people might think that I’m violent. People might think I’m dangerous.’” Metaphors such as “ticking time bomb” or “loaded gun” are used to describe veterans with PTSD, Whitley found, and that they are inaccurate. “PTSD is treatable and there’s good recovery rates, and it’s an illness like any other illness,” he said. “We feel logically that that would lead to some veterans to be reticent about revealing their diagnosis, to talking about it, to seeking treatment even, and obviously that’s not good for them, it’s not good for their families, nor good for society as a whole.” Veterans Affairs Canada says that in 2021-22, just over 48,000 veterans were receiving disability benefits for a psychiatric diagnosis (including PTSD). Quebec’s Health Ministry clearly states that PTSD can be treated. “There are known treatments available to treat this disorder. Treatments allow people affected to regain control of their lives and daily activities. The earlier an affected person consults with a doctor, the better their chances of recovery,” the ministry says. “In most cases, post-traumatic stress disorder is treated effectively with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of these two treatments.” Most veterans Canadian media focus on, Whitley added, served in the Second World War, which is a small percentage of veterans in 2026. “There were far fewer articles about Afghanistan veterans or veterans who have served in peacekeeping missions in Yugoslavia or in Somalia or in Haiti or other places,” he said. Whitley and his colleagues feel media portrayals could be better balanced and focused on more recent veterans transitioning to civilian life or even the challenges they face making that switch. Forgotten service In 2021, Statistics Canada estimated that around 461,200 veterans have served since the Korean War, and there are about 25,500 Second World War and Korean War veterans. In Quebec, 104,695 veterans have served since Korea, and around 2,000 served in the major 20th-century conflicts in Europe and Asia. “The veterans that came back from Afghanistan, there is sometimes a common sentiment that they feel they’ve been forgotten,” said Whitley. The Canadian War Museum says that over 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel served in Afghanistan and 158 died. “Thousands of other veterans of the war were wounded physically and psychologically, leading to additional deaths by suicide,” the museum says. Whitley feels that it’s important to remember those veterans’ sacrifices and the contributions they made and continue to make. “They have injuries. They have pain. So it’s important to remember that all veterans gave something to the country and made sacrifices,” he said. Whitley said a future study is needed to understand how stereotypes affect veterans’ day-to-day behaviour.
