Phenomenology of blast-induced traumatic brain injury in military personnel
Abstract
Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) in military personnel may have long-lasting physical, emotional and sociocultural effects. The experiences of living with TBI as a military Service Member wounded during combat operations is not well understood. In this article, we intend to describe the lived experiences of sustaining a TBI and the impact of the injury. The method of inquiry that we selected was transcendental phenomenology, applying Edmund Husserl's principles for the data analysis. The participants were all active duty military personnel, between the ages of 18-45 years old, that were wounded during combat. The findings demonstrated that sustaining a TBI was a physical, emotional, mental and social life-altering event. Living with TBI was described as frustrating and hard. However, the military Service Members practice their skills as Soldiers, and they fight with courage to get better and to become an individual with a fulfilled life. This study explores and reveals new insights into the life of a SM living with blast-induced TBI.
Subject Area
Physical therapy|Philosophy|Nursing|Military studies
Recommended Citation
Delgado Martinez, Roxana E, "Phenomenology of blast-induced traumatic brain injury in military personnel" (2013). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI3609479.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI3609479