Expanding the bounds of military psychiatry: three clinical encounters

This paper deals with clinical situations frequently encountered in military psychiatry. Using three narratives of soldiers assessed at the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) during a period of marked conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the author portrays ethical dilemmas generated during assessments for fitness to go to combat. When the focus of the assessment is the soldier's refusal to serve in the army, particularly during periods of increased conflict, the psychiatrist faces a dilemma because of double loyalties, to the army of which he is a part, and to the soldier and his right to live. Based on previous literature and experience, some cases of refusal to serve may be understood going beyond the boundaries imposed by the medical model. The author discusses these issues in the context of Israeli society. In Israel, conscription is universal, and the army is not professional. However, given the lack of social legitimacy in Israel for refusal to serve in the IDF due to conscientious objection, soldiers who are otherwise aware of the ethical dilemmas imposed upon them by the harsh Israeli reality are left with no option other than to get exempted from military duties on psychiatric grounds. The author discusses how social and historical factors contribute to the construction of psychiatric and psychological symptoms.