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Special Populations: Care of Military Veterans

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Chronic Illness Care

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Abstract

A veteran is defined as someone who has served but is not currently serving on active duty in the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard and those who served in the US Merchant Marine during World War II. The Veteran’s Health Administration provides medical care to veterans, trains health professionals, and conducts medical research that benefits society at large. In addition to chronic conditions that afflict all populations, veterans have physical, mental, and psychosocial health needs unique to their service. Musculoskeletal injuries, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, moral injury, depression, substance use disorder, chronic pain, and suicide are common chronic issues for veterans. Sexual trauma and occupational exposures may play a role in compromising the health of a veteran. Health equities and homelessness contribute to the challenges many veterans face.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Shawn Kane

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Correspondence to Shawn Kane .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA

    Timothy P. Daaleman

  2. Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA

    Margaret R. Helton

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Kane, S. (2023). Special Populations: Care of Military Veterans. In: Daaleman, T.P., Helton, M.R. (eds) Chronic Illness Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29171-5_31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29171-5_31

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