Post-traumatic Headache and Psychological Health: Mindfulness Training for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury has been coined the signature injury of OIF/OEF, with posttraumatic headache being a cardinal symptom found to be as high as 36% of soldiers with MTBI. Combat-related headaches are undertreated, associated with high sick calls, missed days, negative psychological/mood states, and impair overall quality of life. Comorbid anxiety, depression, PTSD and other psychological, psychosocial, and health stressors portend poorer TBI/headache outcomes, supporting the need for integrative health care. Development, evaluation, and integration of a specialized posttraumatic headache treatment program into a comprehensive TBI rehabilitation effort is critical to restoration of function, health, and quality of life of our soldiers. This project addresses multiple FY09 TBI/PH topic areas by validating an evidence-based, mind-body approach for prevention and treatment of post-TBI headache, stress, and associated psychological health issues in order to restore function, enhance well being, prevent post-TBI headache chronification, develop psychological resilience, and promote long-standing health benefits. The focus of this project is on evaluation of mindfulness based stress reduction as one, potentially critical component of a comprehensive rehabilitative effort for this group of MTBI patients.