Addressing the Needs of Families of Wounded Warriors: Enhancing the Role of Occupational Therapy

Many physical injuries of war, such as facial disfigurement and loss of limbs, are visible. Other physical and emotional injuries that occur as a result of combat may be less immediately apparent, but the effects on the injured military service member and his or her family are no less debilitating. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are the most frequently occurring “invisible” injuries among military service members and veterans (Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center [DVBIC], 2014). Each of these conditions may be accompanied by emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems, including panic disorder, depression, and headaches (Kennedy et al., 2007; Koren, Norman, Cohen, Berman, & Klein, 2005). Also, the effects of physical injury, PTSD, and TBI can severely disrupt relationships within the family (Cozza & Guimond, 2011).