Telehealth-Education-Based Program for Military Caregivers of Injured Service Members With Head Injuries

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has gained increasing attention in American society as it is now considered the "signature injury" of the Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) campaigns. The chronic changes that often occur in the wake of TBI along with possible physical injuries may run a chronic, unremitting course, imposing great strain and distress upon family members who often assume a caregiver role with little preparation and no formal training for these wounded service members as they reintegrate back into civilian life post-deployment. Unfortunately, research has not adequately addressed the unique long-term needs of informal military caregivers of deployed service members with TBI (i.e., family members/close friends).

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 19 years old
• Meets study project definition of a military caregiver
• Documentation or determination of an OIF/OEF deployment related TBI
• Service member will have presented to a Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) or military medical center
• English-speaking
• Has access to a telephone for the administration of measures and/or intervention calls
• Has no significant cognitive or communication problems that might significantly interfere with adequately understanding information or talking on the telephone which will be determined by the clinical judgment of the person consenting the participant.

Exclusion criteria

• Has a life-threatening or other serious disease that impacts the ability to participate for the duration of the project
• No determination or documentation of a deployment-related TBI related to OIF/OEF for the injured service member
• Has a severe hearing impairment that impedes communication and standardized implementation of the intervention and telephone follow-up
• Formal caregiver
• Caregiver does not want to participate