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Psychological Fallout From Being a Prisoner of War

Aired April 04, 2003 - 15:37   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: An Iraqi man identified so far only as "Mohammed" is being described by U.S. Marines as a hero, and is being granted refugee status. The reason, he helped plan the rescue this week of Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch.
Lynch's doctors confirmed today what her parents said yesterday, that she was not shot or stabbed, as previously reported. She is recovering in Germany from fractures, including in both her legs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. DAVID RUBENSTEIN, LANDSTUHL MEDICAL CENTER: Her emotional state is extremely good. She is jovial, she is talking with staff. She has a friend here, a close friend of hers from her unit that has accompanied her. And when she's awake, she is in good spirits.

As I mentioned, we've given her glasses so she can now see. We have arranged when it's time in her medical treatment for her to receive regular meals that she's asking for, and we'll take care of that as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: After spinal surgery yesterday, Lynch was scheduled to undergo additional procedures today. Well you heard the doctor say that her emotional state is good, but experts say that Jessica Lynch's recovery will be about more than healing her physical wounds. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports on the psychological fallout from being a prisoner of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even if Jessica Lynch were physically healthy, she wouldn't be going home right away to her family. Military psychiatrists say released POWs need time. Time, in military lingo, to decompress after being held prisoner.

LT. COL. E. CAMERON RITCHIE, ARMY PSYCHIATRIST: When they come from that environment and they go to an environment that there are well-wishers and stimuli, and light and sounds, that can just implode upon them, and they can actually become disoriented and confused.

COHEN: Colonel Ritchie is a psychiatrist who helped Army Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Hall (ph) after his release from North Korea in 1994. Part of the therapy, simply talking about what happened. RITCHIE: They may feel bad because some of their fellow soldiers got killed. They may feel that they could have, should have done something to get away. And so we want to reassure them and give them a chance to talk about these feelings that they may not really want to talk about with family or the outside world.

COHEN: Another hurdle for POWs, the media spotlight. She might not be ready for the attention her family is already receiving.

GREG LYNCH JR., JESSICA'S BROTHER: She asked if she made the local paper. And my mom said, "Yes, you made the local paper and a lot more." So she has no idea what kind of stir she's raised right now.

COHEN: And how do POWs fare psychologically in the long term? That all depends. Dr. Ritchie, an expert on Korean War veterans, said, for some of them, their lives were ruined by the experience. But that's not true for everyone.

After more than five years in the Hanoi Hilton, John McCain went on to become a senator and presidential candidate. Lieutenant Colonel Dale Storr spent 30 days in Iraqi captivity in the first Gulf War.

LT. COL. DALE STORR, 1991 GULF WAR POW: I try to hope that it changed me for the better. And maybe it will make her a stronger person. In fact, I'm sure of it. She sounds like she was a pretty tough kid to begin with, and I think this is only going to make her better.

COHEN: Each POW has a different experience. Much of how they respond depends on how they were treated while in captivity. Those are some of the details Jessica Lynch will discuss with military therapists as part of her decompression. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired April 4, 2003 - 15:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: An Iraqi man identified so far only as "Mohammed" is being described by U.S. Marines as a hero, and is being granted refugee status. The reason, he helped plan the rescue this week of Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch.
Lynch's doctors confirmed today what her parents said yesterday, that she was not shot or stabbed, as previously reported. She is recovering in Germany from fractures, including in both her legs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. DAVID RUBENSTEIN, LANDSTUHL MEDICAL CENTER: Her emotional state is extremely good. She is jovial, she is talking with staff. She has a friend here, a close friend of hers from her unit that has accompanied her. And when she's awake, she is in good spirits.

As I mentioned, we've given her glasses so she can now see. We have arranged when it's time in her medical treatment for her to receive regular meals that she's asking for, and we'll take care of that as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: After spinal surgery yesterday, Lynch was scheduled to undergo additional procedures today. Well you heard the doctor say that her emotional state is good, but experts say that Jessica Lynch's recovery will be about more than healing her physical wounds. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports on the psychological fallout from being a prisoner of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even if Jessica Lynch were physically healthy, she wouldn't be going home right away to her family. Military psychiatrists say released POWs need time. Time, in military lingo, to decompress after being held prisoner.

LT. COL. E. CAMERON RITCHIE, ARMY PSYCHIATRIST: When they come from that environment and they go to an environment that there are well-wishers and stimuli, and light and sounds, that can just implode upon them, and they can actually become disoriented and confused.

COHEN: Colonel Ritchie is a psychiatrist who helped Army Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Hall (ph) after his release from North Korea in 1994. Part of the therapy, simply talking about what happened. RITCHIE: They may feel bad because some of their fellow soldiers got killed. They may feel that they could have, should have done something to get away. And so we want to reassure them and give them a chance to talk about these feelings that they may not really want to talk about with family or the outside world.

COHEN: Another hurdle for POWs, the media spotlight. She might not be ready for the attention her family is already receiving.

GREG LYNCH JR., JESSICA'S BROTHER: She asked if she made the local paper. And my mom said, "Yes, you made the local paper and a lot more." So she has no idea what kind of stir she's raised right now.

COHEN: And how do POWs fare psychologically in the long term? That all depends. Dr. Ritchie, an expert on Korean War veterans, said, for some of them, their lives were ruined by the experience. But that's not true for everyone.

After more than five years in the Hanoi Hilton, John McCain went on to become a senator and presidential candidate. Lieutenant Colonel Dale Storr spent 30 days in Iraqi captivity in the first Gulf War.

LT. COL. DALE STORR, 1991 GULF WAR POW: I try to hope that it changed me for the better. And maybe it will make her a stronger person. In fact, I'm sure of it. She sounds like she was a pretty tough kid to begin with, and I think this is only going to make her better.

COHEN: Each POW has a different experience. Much of how they respond depends on how they were treated while in captivity. Those are some of the details Jessica Lynch will discuss with military therapists as part of her decompression. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com