Invisible Wounds of War

Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery. Edited by Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox

http://rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG720.pdf

The study discussed in this monograph focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder,
major depression, and traumatic brain injury, not only because of current high-level
policy interest but also because, unlike the physical wounds of war, these conditions are often invisible to the eye, remaining invisible to other servicemembers, family members,and society in general. All three conditions affect mood, thoughts, and behavior;yet these wounds often go unrecognized and unacknowledged. The effect of traumatic brain injury is still poorly understood, leaving a large gap in knowledge related to how extensive the problem is or how to address it.
RAND conducted a comprehensive study of the post-deployment health-related
needs associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic
brain injury among OEF/OIF veterans, the health care system in place to meet those
needs, gaps in the care system, and the costs associated with these conditions and with providing quality health care to all those in need. This monograph presents the results of that study. These results should be of interest to mental health treatment providers;health policymakers, particularly those charged with caring for our nation’s veterans; and U.S. service men and women, their families, and the concerned public. All the research products from this study are available at http://veterans.rand.org.