Reintegrating Troops with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) into Their Communities: Understanding the Scope and Timeline of Post-Deployment Driving Problems

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which combat driving behaviors and anxieties are carried-over into driving on American roads postdeployment from service in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) and compare such behaviors in Service Members (SMs) who have and have not served in hose combat operations and who do and do not have mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and/or PTSD. Four sites are now distributing the survey: Dwight D. Eisenhower Medical Center, FT Gordon; Fox Army Health Center at Redstone Arsenal; Medical Task Force Shelby (MTFS). Camp Shelby; and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital at Fort Campbell. The small sample of SM returns ((n=19) demonstrate that SMs with TBI report significantly more frequent problem driving behaviors than do those without TBI. There were no significant differences in driving related anxieties, weapons carried in POV, moving violations, or perceptions of driving behaviors as dangerous. Service members with PTSD had no significant differences in any scale scores, including problem driving behaviors. A larger sample will allow us to determine if TBI, more than PTSD, is the diagnosis associated with driving problems. Paired samples of SMs with TVI and/or PTSD and a Family/Friend informant (n=12 pairs) demonstrate that Family/Friends consistently underestimate the driving challenges faced by SMs in terms of driving behaviors, anxieties, POV weapons carried, and perceived dangerousness of selected driving behaviors. If results from larger samples follow these initial analyses clinical programs may be most needed by SMs with TBI, and special programs of information may be appropriate for Family/Friends.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA592606

Entities

People

  • Erica B. Stern
  • Todd Rockwood

Organizations

  • University of Minnesota

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Biomedical Research
  • Brain Injuries
  • Combat Operations
  • Department Of Defense
  • Electronic Mail
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • Information Operations
  • International Organizations
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Operations
  • National Governments
  • Task Forces

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.