Veterans Health

About Veterans Health

Veterans are people “who served in the active military, naval, air or space service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.” (Discover.va.gov)

Annually, about 250,000 women and men leave or retire from U.S. military service and begin their experience of returning to civilian life. Veterans make up 15.8 million people, or 6.1% of the total U.S. adult civilian population. (Census.gov)

Some of the common challenges U.S. veterans face include:

• Difficulties Transitioning from Active Duty to Civilian Life
• Experiencing Post Traumatic Stress and Gaps in Mental Health Support
• Missing the Camaraderie, Community, and Purpose Found While Servin
• Access to Benefits for Underserved Veterans
• Lack of Proper Transportation for Disabled Veterans
• Homelessness

Mission Roll Call, 2024

Overlap with Brain Injury

More than 450,000 military members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from 2000 to late 2021. (Defense & Veterans Brain Injury Center) Most injuries were mild, but a mild injury does not necessarily guarantee a mild outcome. Eighty-four percent of veterans with mTBI (mild) had greater combat exposure; less social support; and more comorbidities, including asthma, PTSD, sleeping problems, worse pain scores and slower processing speed. Service members with TBIs have higher rates of PTSD, depressive disorder, substance use disorder, and anxiety disorder than those without TBI.

“Active service members and Veterans with a combat-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) are four times more likely to attempt suicide than those without a TBI” (Moceri-Brooks, et al., 2024). Many service members did not receive Purple Hearts for their TBIs. “…Not receiving the Purple Heart is associated with increased suicide risk and lower quality of life after a brain injury” (Moceri-Brooks, et al., 2024). In addition, some service members experience “moral injuries” such as “perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations” (Litz, Stein, et al., 2009). These events can impact them “emotionally, psychologically, behaviorally, spiritually, and socially” (Litz, Stein, et al., 2009).

Best practice is to screen veterans who enter any treatment program for a lifetime history of brain injury; screen for cognitive and functional impairment; train personnel about brain injuries and how to accommodate for changes; educate the person about their brain injury and refer to community-based resources for support.