The Purple Heart and suicide risk in Post-9/11 U.S. Army Combat Veterans with a traumatic brain injury: A mixed methods study.

SUICIDE risk factors; RISK assessment; SELF-evaluation; STATISTICAL models; SCALE analysis (Psychology); CORPORATE culture; CRONBACH'S alpha; DATA analysis; RESEARCH funding; INTERVIEWING; QUESTIONNAIRES; FIELD notes (Science); MULTIPLE regression analysis; TERRORISM; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; PSYCHOLOGY of veterans; WORK-related injuries; THEMATIC analysis; AWARDS; UNITED States. Army; RESEARCH methodology; QUALITY of life; STATISTICS; BRAIN injuries; DATA analysis software; CONFIDENCE intervals; SOCIAL stigma; REGRESSION analysis

Active service members and Veterans with a combat-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) are four times more likely to attempt suicide than those without a TBI. TBIs are the signature injuries of the Post-9/11 conflicts and Combat Veterans (i.e., current and former service members who deployed in support of a combat mission) with these injuries are entitled to receive the Purple Heart medal. However, potentially tens of thousands of Combat Veterans did not receive, or were denied the Purple Heart during the first decade of the Global War on Terrorism because a TBI was not documented during the deployment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the meaning of the Purple Heart and examine the impact of the Purple Heart on Army Combat Veterans with a combat-related TBI. Findings from this mixed methods study revealed that not receiving the Purple Heart is associated with increased suicide risk and lower quality of life after a brain injury. Additionally, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and perceived military institutional betrayal are associated with increased suicide risk in Army Combat Veterans with a TBI. This mixed methods study provides important insights into how Army culture is perceived and the power of the Purple Heart among this high-risk group of Combat Veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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