Memorial design can have an impact on war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study surveyed 62 Vietnam War combat veterans with PTSD before and after visiting Maya Lin’s famous memorial. Veterans who had visited two or more times self-reported an improvement in the severity of their PTSD compared to others.
Watkins, Nicholas, Frances Cole, and Sue Weidemann. (2010). The war memorial as healing environment: The psychological effect of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Vietnam War combat veterans’ posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Environment and Behavior 42(3), 351-375.
