Jeffrey L. Thomas

TL;DR: Mildtraumatic brain injury occurring among soldiers deployed in Iraq is strongly associated with PTSD and physical health problems 3 to 4 months after the soldiers return home, and after adjustment for PTSD and depression, mild traumatic brain injury was no longer significantly associated with these physical health outcomes or symptoms, except for headache.

TL;DR: The prevalence rates of PTSD and depression after returning from combat ranged from 9% to 31% depending on the level of functional impairment reported, and the high comorbidity with alcohol misuse and aggression highlights the need for comprehensive postdeployment screening.

TL;DR: Examination of rates of utilization of mental health care among active duty and National Guard soldiers with mental health problems three and 12 months after they returned from combat in Iraq found active duty soldiers with a mental health problem had significantly lower rates of service utilization and significantly higher endorsements of stigma.

TL;DR: Specific combat experiences, including greater exposure to violent combat, killing another person, and contact with high levels of human trauma, were predictive of greater risk-taking propensity after homecoming, highlighting the importance of education and counseling for returning service members to mitigate the public health consequences of elevated risk-propensity associated with combat exposure.

TL;DR: Clinicians treating combat veterans should be aware of the potential association of alcohol misuse with specific types of experiences and closely follow those soldiers upon their return home.