Predictors of Postdeployment Functioning in Combat-Exposed U.S. Military Veterans

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Veterans Affairs

Background:

• Combat veterans often experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
• These conditions are presumed to affect reintegration, but their relative impacts are unclear.
• Understanding these impacts is vital for effective veteran support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the associations between internalizing symptoms, mTBI, cognitive performance, and functional impairment in combat veterans.
• To determine the primary predictors of postdeployment functioning.

Main Methods:

• Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used.
• The study analyzed data from 295 combat-exposed veterans.
• Key variables included internalizing symptoms, mTBI symptoms, cognitive performance, and functional impairment.

Main Results:

• Internalizing symptoms were the strongest predictor of functional impairment (r = 0.72).
• mTBI and cognitive performance were associated with internalizing symptoms, but not directly with functional impairment.
• Cognitive performance showed a modest negative association with functional impairment (r = -0.17).

Conclusions:

• Internalizing psychopathology is the most significant factor influencing functional impairment in veterans with co-occurring PTSD and mTBI.
• Interventions should prioritize addressing internalizing symptoms to enhance veteran functioning and reintegration.
• mTBI and cognitive deficits play a less direct role in functional impairment compared to internalizing symptoms.