VA PTSD Psychiatrist Given “Genius” Award
“Dr. Shay is living proof that VA is providing our veterans with the best health care this country has to offer, especially for the treatment of PTSD,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “Our veterans deserve -- and VA is providing -- world-class health care.”
Shay was one of 24 Americans who each recently received a $500,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations, for “exceptional merit and promise of continued creative work.” Shay combines a study of classic literature with 20 years of experience treating veterans in
In addition to publications in professional journals, he is the author of Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America, two widely regarded books that helped spread the understanding that PTSD is an age-old battlefield injury by comparing the works of the ancient Greek poet Homer to the experiences of modern combat veterans.
He also pioneered the use of certain anti-depression medicine, called “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,” for combat trauma, a treatment that now has broad endorsement for veterans with psychological injury.
Besides working for VA, Shay has also worked with the military services and the Defense Department in a variety of capacities to foster an understanding of PTSD, improve military leadership and strengthen ethics training for the military.
Shay received his bachelor’s degree from
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