A New Disability for Rehabilitation Counselors: Iraq War Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are considered the “signature” injuries of military personnel serving in the Iraq war. An alarming number of returning veterans are incurring a combination of these two disabilities. TBI and PTSD combined presents an array of challenges for injured persons that are experienced differently by those separately affected by TBI or PTSD. Hence, the combination of TBI and PTSD presents a new disability classification for the rehabilitation counseling profession. There is an acute need to develop and facilitate specialized care and rehabilitative services for veterans impacted by this nascent disability. We highlight neurobiological, behavioral, and physiological characteristics associated with combat-incurred TBI/PTSD injuries. Additionally, we offer recommendations for rehabilitation counseling professionals and researchers to consider in response to our review of the current system of veteran care, common barriers to rehabilitation and societal re-integration, and available resources for military personnel impacted by TBI and PTSD.