Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T17:23:58.995Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Evidence-Based Intervention Strategies for Veterans and Military Personnel with Traumatic Brain Injury and Co-Morbid Mental Health Conditions: A Systematic Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2013

Bridget B. Matarazzo*
Affiliation:
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Denver, CO, USA University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Denver, CO, USA
Hal S. Wortzel
Affiliation:
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Denver, CO, USA University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Denver, CO, USA University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Denver, CO, USA
Brooke A. Dorsey Holliman
Affiliation:
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Denver, CO, USA
Lisa A. Brenner
Affiliation:
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Denver, CO, USA University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Denver, CO, USA University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Denver, CO, USA University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Denver, CO, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Bridget B. Matarazzo, Psy.D., VISN 19 MIRECC, 1055 Clermont Street, Denver, CO 80220, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prevalent among veterans and military personnel. These individuals present with increased rates of co-morbid mental health conditions and are at increased risk for suicide. Evidence-based treatments are needed to serve this population. A systematic review was conducted in order to determine the state of the science with respect to interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes among veterans and military personnel. Results indicate that only three published articles exist that met inclusion criteria for this systematic review. All three study designs were observational in nature. Significant risk of bias was noted. The body of evidence was rated according to the GRADE approach. Although the published work marks an important starting point in evaluating evidence-based treatments for veterans and military personnel with TBI, the overall quality of evidence was determined to be very low. Implications for both future research and current practice are discussed.

Type
State of the Art Reviews
Creative Commons
This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Arciniegas, D.B., & Silver, J.M. (2011). Psychopharmacology. In Silver, J.S., McAllister, T.W. & Yudofsky, S.C., Textbook of traumatic brain injury (2nd ed., pp. 553570). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.Google Scholar
Balshem, H., Helfand, M., Schunemann, H.J., Oxman, A.D., Kunz, R., Brozek, J., . . . Guyatt, G.H. (2011). GRADE guidelines: 3. Rating the quality of evidence. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 64, 401406.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brenner, L.A., Homaifar, B.Y., Olson-Madden, J.H., Nagamoto, H.T., Huggins, J., Schneider, A.L., . . . Corrigan, J.D. (2013). Prevalence and screening of traumatic brain injury among veterans seeking mental health services. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 28 (1), 2130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brenner, L.A., Ignacio, R.V., & Blow, F.C. (2011). Suicide and traumatic brain injury among individuals seeking Veterans Health Administration services. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation, 26 (4), 257264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bryant, R., O'Donnell, M., Creamer, M., McFarlane, A., Clark, R., & Silove, D. (2010). The psychiatric sequelae of traumatic injury. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167, 312320.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chard, K.M., Schumm, J.A., McIlvain, S.M., Bailey, G.W., & Parkinson, R.B. (2011). Exploring the efficacy of a residential treatment program incorporating Cognitive Processing Therapy-Cognitive for veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 24 (3), 347351.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Veterans Affairs. (2008). Uniform mental health services in VA medical centers and clinics. VHA Handbook 116.01. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. Retrieved 31 October 2012 from http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1762Google Scholar
Department of Veterans Affairs. (2012). Window to Hope: Evaluating a psychological treatment for hopelessness among veterans with traumatic brain injury. Retrieved 5 November 2012 from http://www.mirecc.va.gov/visn19/studies/window2hopeGoogle Scholar
Fann, J., Hart, T., & Schomer, K. (2009). Treatment for depression after traumatic brain injury: A systematic review. Journal of Neurotrauma, 26 (12), 22832402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guyatt, G.H., Oxman, A.D., Kunz, R., Woodcock, J., Brozek, J., Helfand, M.,. . . Schunermann, H.J. (2011). GRADE guidelines: 8. Rating the quality of evidence – indirectness. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 64, 13031310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hart, T., Brenner, L., Clark, A., Bogner, J., Novack, T., Chervoneva, I., . . . Arango-Lasprilla, J. (2011). Major and minor depression after traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 92, 12111219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hart, T., Hoffman, J., Pretz, C., Kennedy, R., Clark, A., & Brenner, L. (2012). A longitudinal study of major and minor depression following traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 93, 13431349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoge, C., McGurk, D., Thomas, L., Cox, A., Engel, C., & Castro, C. (2008). Mild traumatic brain injury in U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq. New England Journal of Medicine, 358 (5), 453463.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hsieh, M., Ponsford, J., Wong, D., & McKay, A. (2012). Exploring variables associated with change in cognitive behaviour therapy (COGNITIVE PROCESSING THERAPY) for anxiety following traumatic brain injury. Disability and Rehabilitation, 34 (5), 408415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liberati, A., Altman, D.G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gotsche, P.C., Ioannidis, J.P.A.,. . . Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: Explanation and elaboration. PLoS Medicine, 6 (7), 128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Management of Concussion/mTBI Working Group. (2009). VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for management of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury. Retrieved 30 October 2012, from http://www.healthquality.va.gov/mtbi/concussion_mtbi_sum_1_0.pdfGoogle Scholar
Military Health System Office of Strategic Communications. (2012). DoD numbers for traumatic brain injury worldwide. Retrieved 30 October 2012, from http://www.dvbic.org/sites/default/files/uploads/dod-tbi-2000-2012.pdfGoogle Scholar
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. (2010). Report of VA consensus conference of 1 June 2009: Practice recommendations for treatment of veterans with co-morbid TBI, pain, and PTSD. Retrieved 30 October 2012 from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/handouts-pdf/TBI_PTSD_Pain_Practice_Recommend.pdfGoogle Scholar
Olson-Madden, J.H., Brenner, L.A., Matarazzo, B.B., SignoracciG.M., & Expert Consensus Collaborators. G.M., & Expert Consensus Collaborators. (2013). Identification and treatment of TBI and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms among OEF/OIF/OND veterans seeking mental health services within the state of Colorado: Establishing consensus for best practices. Community Mental Health Journal. doi: 10.1007/s10597-012-9572-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutherford, W., Merrett, J., & McDonali, J. (1977). Sequelae of concussion caused by minor head injuries. Lancet, 1 (8001), 14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schoenhuber, R., & Gentilini, M. (1988). Anxiety and depression after mild head injury: A case control study. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 48, 2128.Google Scholar
Simpson, G., Tate, R., Whiting, D., & Cotter, R. (2011). Suicide prevention after traumatic brain injury: A randomized controlled trial of a program for the psychological treatment of hopelessness. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 26 (4), 290300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Soo, C., & Tate, R. (2009). Psychological treatment for anxiety in people with traumatic brain injury. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Retrieved 30 October 2012 from http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/userfiles/ccoch/file/CD005239.pdfGoogle Scholar
Tan, M. (2009). 2 million troops have deployed since 9/11. Marine Corps Times, 18 December. Retrieved 2 October 2012, from http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/12/military_deployments_121809w/Google Scholar
Tanielian, T., & Jaycox, L. (2008). Invisible wounds of war: psychological and cognitive injuries, their consequences, and services to assist recovery. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.Google Scholar
Terrio, H., Brenner, L., Ivins, B., Cho, J., Helmick, K., Schwab, K., . . . Warden, D. (2009). Traumatic brain injury screening: Preliminary findings in a U.S. army brigade combat team. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 24 (1), 1423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Zomeren, A., & van den Burg, W. (1985). Residual complaints of patients two years after severe head injury. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 48 (1), 2128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walter, K.H., Barnes, S.M., & Chard, K.M. (2012a). The influence of co-morbid MDD on outcome after residential treatment for veterans with TPSD and a history of TBI. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25, 426432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walter, K.H., Kiefer, S.L., & Chard, K.M. (2012b). Relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and postconcussive symptom improvement after completion of a posttraumatic disorder/traumatic brain injury residential treatment program. Rehabilitation Psychology, 57 (1), 1317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed