Head Injury and Bodily Pain in Military Personnel: Robust Evidence in Combat and Noncombat Environments
Abstract
Background: Concomitant head injury and bodily pain is frequently observed in both civilian and military veteran populations. Problem Statement: Although a growing body of literature quantifies these comorbidities in veteran populations, there is little available evidence in active duty military members. Process: We evaluated associations between head injury and bodily pain in active duty military members in four independent cross-sectional studies, encompassing both combat and noncombat environments. We hypothesized that individuals endorsing head injury or a positive diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) would also experience greater bodily pain symptoms compared with those who did not. The main outcome measures for all studies were head injury or positive diagnosis of TBI. Results: Across the four independent studies, the association between head injury and bodily pain was robust to numerous confounding influences, while behavioral health comorbidities consistently met criteria as mediators. Conclusions: Bodily pain management is a key component in the medical care and rehabilitation of military personnel with head injuries.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 12, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1061565
Entities
People
- Christine Laver
- Jason Bailie
- Lisa M. Hernández
- Marcus K. Taylor
- Paul Sargent
- Shiloah A. Kviatkovsky
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center