A Brief Overview of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within the Department of Defense

The current conflicts in the Middle East have yielded increasing awareness of the acute and chronic effect of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The increasing frequency of exposure to blast and multiple deployments potentially impact the probability that a service member may sustain one of these injuries. The 2008 International Conference on Behavioral Health and Traumatic Brain Injury united experts in the fields of behavioral health and traumatic brain injury to address these significant health concerns. This article summarizes current Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives related to TBI and PTSD.