title: Is policy well-targeted to remedy financial strain among caregivers of severely injured U.S. service members?
abstract: U.S. military service members have sustained severe injuries since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This paper aims to determine the factors associated with financial strain of their caregivers and establish whether recent federal legislation targets caregivers experiencing financial strain. In our national survey, 62.3% of caregivers depleted assets and/or accumulated debt, and 41% of working caregivers left the labor force. If a severely injured veteran needed intensive help, the primary caregiver faced odds 4.63 times higher of leaving the labor force, and used $27,576 more in assets and/or accumulated debt compared to caregivers of veterans needing little or no assistance.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. courtney.vanhoutven@duke.edu
authors.forename: Courtney Harold
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Van Houtven
authors.forename: Greta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Friedemann-Sánchez
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Clothier
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Levison
authors.forename: Brent C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Agnes C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Phelan
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Griffin
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000191:economics; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics*