Deployment-acquired TBI and suicidality: Risk and assessment
Lisa A. Brenner and Beeta Y. Homaifar
VA VISN 19 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Denver, Colorado, USA; University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA
War and Suicide. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2009, 306 pages.
Introduction: Existing literature suggests that those with deployment-acquired traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be at increased risk for future suicidal behavior. Pertinent background information and potential best practices for assessing the risk of intentional self-injury in those with deployment-related TBI will be discussed. Conclusion: With the aim of comprehensively assessing risk, clinicians are encouraged to increase understanding regarding possible contributing factors (eg, pre-existing vulnerabilities, TBI sequelae) in the context of military experiences. Using the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide Risk and The International Classification of Functioning as organizing frameworks in conjunction with literature regarding post-TBI functioning may facilitate this process.