ABSTRACT
Objective
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between resilience and self-reported neurobehavioral functioning following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in U.S. military service members and veterans (SMVs). A secondary objective was to examine the interaction between resilience and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on neurobehavioral functioning.
Method
Participants included 795 SMVs classified into four groups: Uncomplicated Mild TBI (MTBI; n=300); Complicated Mild, Moderate, Severe, or Penetrating TBI (STBI, n 162); Injured Controls (IC, n=185); and Non-injured Controls (NIC, n=148). Two independent cohorts were evaluated – those assessed within 1-year of injury and those assessed 10-years post-injury. SMVs completed self-report measures including the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version, Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory, and TBI-Quality of Life.
Results
Results showed that (1) lower resilience was strongly associated with poorer neurobehavioral functioning across all groups at 1-year and 10-years post-injury, and (2) PTSD and resilience had a robust influence on neurobehavioral functioning at both time periods post-injury, such that SMVs with PTSD and low resilience displayed the poorest neurobehavioral functioning.
Conclusion
Results suggest that regardless of injury group and time since injury, resilience and PTSD strongly influence neurobehavioral functioning following TBI among SMVs. Future research evaluating interventions designed to enhance resilience in this population is indicated.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express gratitude to the service members and veterans for their time and commitment to participating in this research. The authors would also like to acknowledge the efforts of the larger team of research coordinators, research associates, research assistants, program managers, and senior management who contribute to the DVBIC 15-Year Longitudinal TBI Study.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the Defense Health Agency, Department of Defense, or any other U.S. government agency. This work was prepared under Contract HT0014-19-C-0004 with DHA Contracting Office (CO-NCR) HT0014 and, therefore, is defined as U.S. Government work under Title 17 U.S.C.§101. Per Title 17 U.S.C.§105, copyright protection is not available for any work of the U.S. Government. For more information, please contact [email protected] < Caution-mailto:[email protected] > .UNCLASSIFIED
Data availability statement
Data are available from authors upon reasonable request.
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.