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Psychiatric diagnoses among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans screened for deployment‐related traumatic brain injury
Author(s) -
Carlson Kathleen F.,
Nelson David,
Orazem Robert J.,
Nugent Sean,
Cifu David X.,
Sayer Nina A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20483
Subject(s) - traumatic brain injury , psychiatry , iraq war , software deployment , medicine , psychology , clinical psychology , political science , computer science , law , operating system
The authors examined psychiatric diagnoses in administrative records for 13,201 United States military veterans who were screened for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. Over 80% of the veterans with positive TBI screens had psychiatric diagnoses. Compared to veterans with negative TBI screens, those with positive screens, but without confirmed TBI status, were three times more likely to have a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and were two times more likely to have depression and substance‐related diagnoses. Among veterans with positive TBI screens, those with clinically confirmed TBI status were more likely than those without confirmed TBI status to have diagnoses for PTSD, anxiety, and adjustment disorders. These findings have implications for health care delivery and provider education.