title: Exploration of Individual and Family Factors Related to Community Reintegration in Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community reintegration (CR) poses a major problem for military veterans who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Factors contributing to CR after TBI are poorly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To address the gap in knowledge, an ecological framework was used to explore individual and family factors related to CR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline data from an intervention study with 83 veterans with primarily mild to moderate TBI were analyzed. Instruments measured CR, depressive symptoms, physical health, quality of the relationship with the family member, and sociodemographics. Posttraumatic stress disorder and TBI characteristics were determined through record review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five variables that exhibited significant bivariate relationships with CR (veteran rating of quality of relationship, physical functioning, bodily pain, posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis, and depressive symptoms) were entered into hierarchical regression analysis. In the final analysis, the five variables together accounted for 35% of the variance, but only depression was a significant predictor of CR, with more depressed veterans exhibiting lower CR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efforts to support CR of Veterans with TBI should carefully assess and target depression, a modifiable factor.
authors.affiliation: Helene Moriarty, PhD, RN, Nursing Service, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Villanova University College of Nursing, Villanova, PA, USA helene.moriarty@villanova.edu.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moriarty
authors.affiliation: Laraine Winter, PhD, Nursing Service, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Research and Education Foundation, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Laraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Keith Robinson, MD, Polytrauma Service, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Gala True, PhD, Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Gala
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: True
authors.affiliation: Catherine Piersol, PhD, OTR/L, Thomas Jefferson University, School of Health Professions, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piersol
authors.affiliation: Tracey Vause-Earland, MS, OTR/L, Thomas Jefferson University, School of Health Professions, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vause-Earland
authors.affiliation: Dolores Blazer Iacovone, MS, OTR/L, CDRS, Polytrauma Service, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Dolores Blazer
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Iacovone
authors.affiliation: Laura Holbert, MSW, Philadelphia Research and Education Foundation, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holbert
authors.affiliation: Brian Newhart, MSW, Polytrauma Service, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Newhart
authors.affiliation: Deborah Fishman, RN, MSN, Nursing Service, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.affiliation: Thomas H. Short, PhD, PStat®, John Carroll University, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University Heights, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Short
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015143:Philadelphia; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: community reintegration; depression; posttraumatic stress disorder; traumatic brain injury; veterans