Concussion in Military Personnel

2019 ◽  
pp. 194-196
Author(s):  
David L. Brody
Keyword(s):  
Military Personnel ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Service Member ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Active Duty Military ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Return To Duty ◽  
Military Physicians

Consider treating acute blast-related concussion patients with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) when starting within 72 hours after injury. For more chronic issues, in addition to family members, the best collateral source may be another service member with whom the patient has served. Evaluate carefully for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain, sleep disorders, balance, and hearing loss given that these are especially common in military personnel with concussion. Maintain confidentiality; if the patient has been using drugs and/or alcohol, it may be wise to refer them for rehabilitation discretely, because active duty military personnel do not have the same privacy protections that civilians have, and this can jeopardize their future careers. Return-to-duty decision-making is best done in collaboration with military physicians and occupational therapists. Refer to community resources specifically dedicated to wounded warriors.

Special Topics in Military Personnel

2014 ◽  
pp. 133-134
Author(s):  
David L Brody
Keyword(s):  
Military Personnel ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Service Member ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Active Duty Military ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Return To Duty ◽  
Military Physicians

The best collateral source may be another service member with whom the patient has served in addition to a family member. Evaluate explicitly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain, sleep disorders, balance, and hearing loss, as these are common in military personnel with concussion, especially blast-related injuries. Maintain confidentiality. If the patient has been using drugs and/or alcohol, it may be wise to refer them for rehabilitation discretely, since active duty military personnel do not have the same privacy protections that civilians have, and this can jeopardize their future careers. Return-to-duty decision-making is best done in collaboration with military physicians and occupational therapists. Refer to community resources specifically dedicated to wounded warriors.

scholarly journals ‘Master My Demons’: art therapy montage paintings by active-duty military service members with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marygrace Berberian ◽  
Melissa S Walker ◽  
Girija Kaimal
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Art Therapy ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Active Duty Military ◽  
Military Service Members ◽  
Post Traumatic

This study involved a thematic analysis of montage paintings and of related clinical records of 240 active-duty military service members collected during their art therapy treatment for traumatic brain injury and underlying psychological health concerns, including post-traumatic stress, at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Congruent with other research findings, the qualitative analyses of this study suggest that the group art therapy experiences fostered improvement in interpersonal relatedness, hopefulness and gratification for the service members in treatment, aiding in externalisation, progressive exposure and construction of a trauma narrative imperative for recovery. The mixed media nature of the montage painting supported the expression of a range of postcombat symptoms. Results from this study highlighted the complexity of military culture, necessitating a broader scope of analyses for how art therapy helps service members express and communicate their challenges to care providers, peers and family as well as regulate emotion in the short and long term.

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