Citation

Krull H, Farmer CM, Rennane S, Goldstein E, Armour P, Ruder T. Rand Health Q. 2022; 9(3): e22.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Rand Corporation)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

35837533

PMCID

PMC9242554

Abstract

Since 2001, more than 3 million service members have deployed in support of multiple combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other theaters. Many have been diagnosed with the ""signature wounds"" of these conflicts: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI). During the intervening years, the process by which service members are evaluated for disability has evolved significantly, including a complete overhaul of the Disability Evaluation System (DES) beginning in 2007. Meanwhile, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the services made policy changes and initiated other efforts to improve screening for PTSD and TBI, encourage service members to seek treatment, improve quality of care, and reduce the stigma associated with treatment for these conditions. To explore these changes, as well as their potential effects on the numbers and characteristics of service members who are evaluated through DES, the authors identify and assess trends in DES outcomes for PTSD and TBI between 2002 and 2017.

Language: en

Keywords

Veterans Health Care; Defense Health Agency; Military Compensation; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Traumatic Brain Injury; United States Department of Defense; People with Disabilities