Introduction:

The Alto Cenepa conflict between Ecuador and Peru in 1995 caused deep psychological consequences among veterans, with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) being one of the most significant.

Objective:

To analyze the impact of PTSD on a Cenepa war veteran, identifying his emotional, social, and occupational sequelae, as well as the coping strategies he employed.

Materials and Methods:

A mixed-method approach with a qualitative predominance was applied, based on grounded theory and a phenomenological design, using semi-structured interviews, behavioral observation, and the Coping with Stress Questionnaire (CAE) by Sandín and Chorot (2002), organizing the findings into three categories: social, family, and work-related.

Results:

The participant showed a maladaptive coping style, with high scores in avoidance and passive coping, and low scores in active and problem-focused coping. Symptoms of hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, isolation, irritability, survivor’s guilt, and difficulty maintaining stable social, family, and work relationships were observed.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrates that PTSD profoundly affects the veteran’s emotional, social, and occupational functioning, leading to significant deterioration in his quality of life. It also highlights the lack of institutional support in Ecuador and the urgent need to implement public policies and psychological intervention programs that provide adequate care and improve the well-being of veterans.