Streszczenie
The article presents the characteristics of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a kind of mental disorder that can occur after experiencing a traumatic event such as war. It was described the types of events that can lead to PTSD, the way of development of the disorder, its symptoms and risk factors that increase susceptibility to developing the disease. It was analyzed the issue of combat stress as one of the possible sources of PTSD, typical for men, and the problem of suicide attempts among soldiers and veterans was also presented. The examples of preventive and therapeutic measures undertaken both in Poland and abroad were discussed.