combat fatigue

com·bat fatigue (kmbt)

n.

Posttraumatic stress disorder resulting from wartime combat or similar experiences. No longer in scientific use. Also called battle fatigue, shell shock.

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combat fatigue

Etymology: L, com, together, battuere, to beat, fatigare, to tire

any of a variety of psychologic disorders, usually temporary but sometimes permanent, resulting from exhaustion, the stress of combat, or the cumulative emotions and psychologic strain of warfare or other traumatic situations. It is characterized by anxiety, depression, irritability, memory and sleep disorders, and various related symptoms. Also called combat neurosis; adjacent war neurosis. See also posttraumatic stress disorder, shell shock.

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combat fatigue

Battle fatigue, combat shock Psychiatry A condition that affects soldiers after long tours of combat duty, which is characterized by a loss of self-esteem, anxiety, tremulousness, depression, extreme emotional lability, dyspepsia, dyspnea. See 'Burn-out syndrome.', Old soldier's heart, Post-traumatic stress disorder.