Exploring Veterans’ Military Stress Experiences and Coping Mechanisms Through Draw-and-Tell

This study explores veterans’ coping mechanisms related to stressful and traumatic military experiences through their responses to a draw-and-tell task using qualitative analysis. The findings described four main themes: (1) organizing chaos, (2) communicating emotional impact, (3) visualizing trauma and symptoms, and (4) focusing on the positive. The discussion contextualizes these findings along two continuums in which veterans’ coping mechanisms operate: the distance-proximity axis and the emotional valence axis. Implications for tailoring therapeutic interventions stemming from these axes are also discussed. The study underscores the value of art-based methods in trauma treatment, as drawings provide a unique expressive medium complementing verbal therapy and offer insights for mental health professionals working with this population.