Post-traumatic stress is far too common among veterans.

10% of men, nearly 20% of female veterans,

report symptoms at some point in their lives.

But could the arts provide a needed prescription?

Stephanie Syre reports from Seattle for our ongoing coverage

at the intersection of arts and health, part of our Canvas series.

And up. section of arts and health part of our Canvas series. On a recent afternoon at the

military veterans prepares for an upcoming performance.

Okay, not a bad review. Thank you. This veteran's choir is part of Path with Art, a Seattle

nonprofit that offers a range of programming designed to promote public health.

Let's go again.

For Shonda Diyanda, who served 24 years in the United States Air Force, the once-a-week

ritual of singing with fellow service members has been healing.

Trauma changes who you are as a person. Deonda served in combat roles in Iraq,

Afghanistan, and Bosnia. But it wasn't until she retired from the Air Force in 2019 that she

began to process all that she'd seen on the battlefield. She was diagnosed with PTSD.

But I was like, I'm sure I don't have that. I'm sure that's not a problem for me.

And then COVID hit, and I lost the ability of being really active and in the community.

And so being alone with my thoughts became more a part of my life.

She says when even leaving her house made her terrified, her therapist referred her to Path with Art.

Joining the Veterans' Choir where I'd be surrounded by other veterans,

it's a way of kind of finding my voice again.

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