Article

Servicemembers returning from recent conflicts frequently report symptoms
associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are subsequently assessed within
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical system. Information on potential
cognitive and behavioral correlates of TBI is available from multiple sources. A
Veteran's symptom presentation may be significantly influenced by the information
he or she has received. Despite knowledge of the relationship between information
source and symptom presentation, little work has focused on a characterization of
where Veterans receive their information. The present study aims to fill this gap
in the literature. We asked 152 Veterans who screened positive for possible TBI
within the VA healthcare system about the sources of information they have
encountered regarding TBI and its sequelae. "Friends in the military" was the
most frequently cited source of information, followed by the Internet, medical
professionals, and informational pamphlets. The results of this survey indicate
that Veterans are being exposed to information about TBI prior to a formal
evaluation and that this information comes from multiple sources of varying
reliability. Future research should focus on evaluating and ultimately improving
the reliability of this information in order to positively influence the
treatment of Veterans.

Langue : ANGLAIS