Article

The co-occurrence of psychiatric disorders and other somatic disorders
poses a significant challenge for the individual clinician working with veterans
who report a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). In this article,
common co-occurring symptoms and disorders will be described in relation to the
population of veterans with mTBI, using a retrospective analysis of data from
initial screening and secondary level evaluation for traumatic brain injury (TBI)
in an urban Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred two
veterans of the recent conflicts who received secondary level evaluation for TBI
following positive TBI screening. OUTCOMES: Significant differences were detected
in symptom reporting between those who screened positive and those who screened
negative on psychiatric screening. Those with positive posttraumatic stress
disorder and depression screens endorsed more cognitive and affective symptoms;
individuals screening positive for alcohol abuse did not report significantly
more symptoms. Individuals without positive psychiatric screens reported fewer
symptoms than those with positive screens. Consideration of these data in the
context of a clinical case will be used to elucidate the challenge this presents
to the clinical team. CONCLUSION: The presence of co-occurring disorders should
be considered in the etiology of a veteran's continued symptomatic complaints
following TBI.

Langue : ANGLAIS