Approximately 15% of casualties in the Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF]) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF]) conflicts received mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). To identify Veterans who may benefit from treatment, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented a national clinical reminder in 2007 to screen for TBI. Veterans who screen positive are referred for a compreh...

The wars in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF) have engendered a growing population of US female veterans, with women now comprising 15% of active US duty military personnel. Women serving in the military come under direct fire and experience combat-related injuries and trauma, and are also often subject to in-service sexual assaults and sexual...

OBJECTIVE Warfighters who sustained combat amputations in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) have unique challenges during rehabilitation. This study followed their outcomes. METHODS Subjects were 382 U.S. warfighters with major limb amputations after combat injury in OEF/OIF between 2001 and 2005. Outcome measures were diagnoses, treatment codes, and personnel ev...

Rates of suicide among veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) rose significantly from 2005 to 2007, adding to existing concerns about veteran suicide risk by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This paper summarizes the available data about risk and rates of suicide in veterans, including the choice of appropriate comparison groups and the identification ...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Soldiers of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) sustain blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) with alarming regularity. This study discusses factors in addition to concussion, such as co-morbid psychological difficulty (e.g. post-traumatic stress) and symptom validity concerns that may complicate neuropsychological evaluation in the la...

Joel Kupersmith, MD; Alex K. Ommaya, ScD; Michael E. Selzer, MD, PhD, FRCP; Robert L. Ruff, MD, PhD; Henry L. Lew, MD, PhD The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), treating more than 5.5 million veterans annually [1], manages the largest integrated healthcare system in the nation and is committed to providing veterans with the highest quality healthcare. Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (Opera...

The current study examines the associations among levels of social support, emotional hiding, and screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within a sample of 536 Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans. Michigan and Ohio OIF/OEF veterans were contacted to complete a postdeployment mental health screening questionnaire developed as part of the Dep...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been estimated to affect up to 18% of returning Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans. Soldiers need to maintain constant vigilance to deal with unpredictable threats, and an unprecedented number of soldiers are surviving serious wounds. These risk factors are significant for development of PTSD; therefore, early and efficient intervention options must ...

Limited research exists on the relationship between physical injury and PTSD within military populations. The present study assessed postinjury rates of PTSD and other psychological correlates among battle and non-battle injuries. A total of 1,968 men (831 battle injuries and 1,137 nonbattle injuries) injured between September 2004 and February 2005 during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) composed...