Education
WARRIOR CARE
The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) addresses both the invisible and visible wounds of war through research, education and consultation. The invisible wounds of war include the mental health consequences of deployment. These can range from normal distress to the treatable mental disorders of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Warrior wounds can also involve health risks such as increased use of tobacco, alcohol and/or drugs that can result in violence to self, spouse and/or children.
The visible wounds of war include serious injuries from blasts and combat, which can result in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), burns, amputations and other serious physical wounds.
This page features two important Leadership documents that lay the foundation for evidenced-informed care encompassing the Wounded Warrior as well as his/her family and children who are integral to the recovery process. We also present fact sheets for healthcare providers and military families on post-deployment stress symptoms, and a dedicated warrior care campaign, Resources for Recovery.
Our Warrior Care pubic education poster below is in the public domain and may be printed in high resolution or emailed in low resolution. For more information on a variety of topics related to warrior care, military health, and Courage to Care, go to
Fact Sheets.
For Leadership:
From Injury to Home: Integrating Networks of Medical and Psychosocial Support on the Road From Battlefield Injury to Recovery |
“Movement from care at the point of battlefield injury (physical, psychological, or combined) through levels of care abroad and within the US and ultimately homeward is a complex process….” This fact sheet identifies the key areas that programs and policies should address to optimize warrior care from injury to home. |
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Principles of Caring for Combat Injured Families and Children
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"Care of combat injured service members must attend to family needs and specifically should work toward relieving family distress, sustaining parental functioning, and fostering effective injury related parent-child communication.” This fact sheet identifies core principles in caring for combat injured families to optimize warrior care and family resilience." |
For Providers:
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Post Deployment Health and Distress Reponses: Overview for Practioners |
"Knowing when a veteran is simply readjusting to life back home or when he or she may require clinical intervention to ease that transition is confusing for families and medical practitioners. This fact sheet provides an overview for medical providers of traumatic responses from normal distress to signs of PTSD." |
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Resources for Recovery: Providers |
"Combat injury is a life-changing event that impacts the service member, his or her children, as well as other family members and loved ones.” This fact sheet, developed by national experts in warrior and family care around traumatic events, sets forth principles of care for the combat injured family." |
For Families:
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Understanding Post Deployment Stress Symptoms: Helping Your Loved Ones |
"Families and friends of returning service members often wonder what to expect after their loved one comes home from a combat zone. They may ask what is “typical” and when should they become concerned. This fact sheet explains and distinguishes the symptoms of normal distress, health risk behaviors and more serious disorders such as depression and PTSD." |
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Resources for Recovery: Family |
"Your military loved one has been wounded and suddenly your world has been turned upside down. Combat injury is a life-changing event that impacts a family’s routines and its sense of safety and wholeness.” This fact sheet sets forth principles of medical care to optimize your family’s experience and strength during the recovery and transition home phase" |
