PTSD and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Iraq and Afghanistan War

For more than a decade, several million US and other coalition military forces have been deployed to support the military conflicts in and around Iraq and Afghanistan. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are two of the signature injuries sustained by deployed military personnel. This chapter reviews the symptomatology, epidemiology, etiology, assessment, and diagnosis of PTSD and mild TBI in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. The chapter also reviews the prevention and treatment of PTSD and mild TBI in these populations. List of Abbreviations ANSF Afghan National Security Forces CPT Cognitive processing therapy DoD Department of Defense HERRICK Code name for UK military operations in Afghanistan IED Improvised explosive devices ISAF International Security Assistance Force ISIL Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIS Islamic State of Iraq and Syria MNF-I Multi-National Force – Iraq mTBI Mild traumatic brain injury OEF Operation Enduring Freedom OIF Operation Iraqi Freedom OND Operation New Dawn PCL PTSD Checklist PCL-5 PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 PCL-M PTSD Checklist Military Version PCS Postconcussive syndrome PDHA Post-Deployment Health Assessment PDHRA Post-Deployment Health Re-Assessment PE Prolonged exposure PTSD Posttraumatic stress disorder TBI Traumatic brain injury *Email: petersona3@uthscsa.edu Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_69-1 # Springer International Publishing Switzerland (outside the USA) 2015