Cameron T. McCabe

Background: Military amputee patient care programs offer extensive services, including advanced prosthetic devices, to restore function and improve quality of life (QOL) among veterans and service members with combat-related limb loss, but research on satisfaction with these devices is limited. Objective: To assess prosthesis satisfaction and QOL in US service members and veterans with combat-related major lower-limb amputation. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Eighty-six participants with combat-related major lower-limb amputation completed the Orthotics and Prosthetics Users' Survey (OPUS) Satisfaction with Device scale and Quality of Well-Being Scale, Self-Administered, for the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project. Results: Most participants (62%–88%) responded Agree or Strongly Agree to OPUS Satisfaction with Device items on the fit, weight, comfort, ease of donning, appearance, and durability of their prosthesis. By contrast, the majority of participants (55%–79%) responded Disagree or Strongly Disagree to items on clothes being free of wear and tear, skin free of abrasions and irritations, and the affordability of their prosthesis. In linear regression analysis, total OPUS Satisfaction with Device score was positively associated with Quality of Well-Being Scale, Self-Administered score (β = 0.0058; P = 0.004). Conclusions: Findings indicate the majority of participants were satisfied with the overall functionality of their prosthesis, but dissatisfied with the effect of their prosthesis on clothing and skin, as well as expenses related to their prosthesis. Additionally, prosthesis satisfaction was positively associated with QOL.

Background: More than 52,000 casualties have been documented in post-9/11 conflicts. Service members with extremity injuries (EIs) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be at particular risk for long-term deficits in mental and physical health functioning compared with service members with other injuries. Methods: The present study combined medical records with patient reports of mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for 2,537 service members injured in overseas contingency operations who participated in the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project. Combined parallel-serial mediation models were tested to examine the pathways through which injury is related to mental and physical health conditions, and long-term HRQOL. Results: Results revealed that injury was indirectly related to long-term HRQOL via its associations with physical health complications and mental health symptoms. Relative to TBI, EI was associated with a higher likelihood for a postinjury diagnosis for a musculoskeletal condition, which were related to lower levels of later posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and higher levels of physical and mental HRQOL. Similarly, EI was related to a lower likelihood for a postinjury PTSD diagnosis, and lower levels of subsequent PTSD symptoms, and therefore higher physical and mental HRQOL relative to those with TBI. Despite this, the prevalence of probable PTSD among those with EI was high (35%). Implications for intervention, rehabilitation, and future research are discussed.

Introduction: The ‘golden hour’ is a universal paradigm that suggests trauma patients have lower morbidity and mortality when provided with medical care within 1 hour after injury. The objective of this study was to examine whether transport time from point of injury to a military treatment facility (MTF) in-theatre was associated with patient-reported outcomes, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and quality of life (QOL), among US service members with combat-related injury. Methods: Participants were injured between March 2003 and March 2016 and completed standardised assessments of PTSD, depression and QOL for theWounded Warrior Recovery Project (WWRP) between January 2013 and November 2017. Multivariable regressions were used to assess the relationship between transport time (≤1 hour or >1 hour from injury to MTF) and positive screens for PTSD and depression, and QOL, respectively. Overall, 45.6% of participants (n=879) arrived at an MTF within 1 hour postinjury. About 8 years passed between when participants were injured on deployment and when they completed their first WWRP assessment. Approximately 48% of participants screened positive for PTSD and 51.3% for depression, with a mean QOL score of 0.513 (SD=0.150). After adjusting for covariates, transport time was not significantly associated with PTSD (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.38; p=0.77), depression (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.21; p=0.55) or QOL (β=0.009; p=0.38). Conclusion: Transport time was not associated with patient-reported outcomes among US service members with combat-related injury. These findings are important as we seek to understand how combat casualties may be affected by extended medical evacuation or transport times anticipated in future expeditionary operations.

Sex- and gender-based health disparities are well established and may be of particular concern for service women. Given that injured service members are at high risk of adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes, it is important to address any such disparities in this group, especially in regard to patient-reported outcomes, as much of the existing research has focused on objective medical records. The current study addressed physical and mental health-related quality of life, mental health symptoms, and health behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, sleep, and physical activity) among a sample of service women injured on deployment. Results indicate that about half of injured service women screened positive for a mental health condition, and also evidenced risky health behaviors including problematic drinking, poor sleep, and physical inactivity. Many of the mental and behavioral health variables demonstrated statistically significant associations with each other, supporting the relationships between psychological health and behaviors. Results provide additional evidence for the importance of access to integrated and effective mental healthcare treatment for injured service women and the need for screening in healthcare settings that address the multiple factors (e.g., mental health symptoms, alcohol use, poor sleep) that may lead to poor outcomes.

Poor mental health and quality of life (QOL) are common among service members exposed to trauma and may be more pronounced among those injured on combat deployment. It is vital to identify factors that attenuate these issues. This study examined whether perceived support from friends and family buffer associations between level of trauma exposure, mental health symptoms (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression), and QOL. Military health care records and cross-sectional web-assessment data were collected for 1,643 individuals who were participating in a large-scale surveillance project of patient-reported outcomes of Service members injured on combat deployment. General linear models revealed perceived support from family and friends were independently related to lower depression and PTSD symptoms, and higher QOL. Perceived support from friends buffered associations between trauma exposure and depression symptoms and QOL, but not PTSD symptoms. In contrast, individuals with high family support reported the lowest levels for both PTSD and depression symptoms at low levels of trauma exposure. At high levels of trauma exposure, however, symptoms were similar across levels of family support. A similar trend was observed for QOL. Such evidence reinforces the importance of interpersonal relationships and support for injured service members, and highlights the need to address these topics in existing treatment and rehabilitation programs.

Purpose Little is known about the long-term, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of those wounded in combat during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. The present study described the overall HRQOL for a large group of US service members experiencing mild-to-severe combat-related injuries, and assessed the unique contribution of demographics, service- and injury-related characteristics, and mental health factors on long-term HRQOL. Method The Wounded Warrior Recovery Project examines patient-reported outcomes in a cohort of US military personnel wounded in combat. Participants were identified from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database, a US Navy-maintained deployment health database, and invited to complete a web-based survey. At the time of this study, 3245 service members consented and completed the survey. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the unique contribution of each set of antecedents on HRQOL scores. Results HRQOL was uniquely associated with a number of demographics, and service- and injury-related characteristics. Nevertheless, screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (B = − .09; P < .001), depression (B = − .10; P < .001), or both as a set (B = − .19; P < .001) were the strongest predictors of lower long-term HRQOL. Conclusions Postinjury HRQOL among service members wounded in combat was associated with service and injury experience, and demographic factors, but was most strongly linked with current mental health status. These findings underscore the significance of mental health issues long after injury. Further, findings reinforce that long-term mental health screening, services, and treatment are needed for those injured in combat.

Associations between body region injured and psychosocial outcomes may have implications for injury prevention and mitigation strategies. The present study investigated the association of body-regi... This study suggests that relative to other types of injuries, military service members with combat-related spine and head injuries are at risk for experiencing higher posttraumatic stress disorder ...