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Journal article
Active-duty military service members' visual representations of PTSD and TBI in masks
International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, v 12(1), 1267317
01 Jan 2017
PMID: 28452610
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Active-duty military service members have a significant risk of sustaining physical and psychological trauma resulting in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Within an interdisciplinary treatment approach at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, service members participated in mask making during art therapy sessions. This study presents an analysis of the mask-making experiences of service members (n = 370) with persistent symptoms from combat and mission-related TBI, PTSD, and other concurrent mood issues. Data sources included mask images and therapist notes collected over a five-year period. The data were coded and analyzed using grounded theory methods. Findings indicated that mask making offered visual representations of the self related to individual personhood, relationships, community, and society. Imagery themes referenced the injury, relational supports/losses, identity transitions/questions, cultural metaphors, existential reflections, and conflicted sense of self. These visual insights provided an increased understanding of the experiences of service members, facilitating their recovery.
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Details
- Title
- Active-duty military service members' visual representations of PTSD and TBI in masks
- Creators
- Melissa S. Walker - Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterGirija Kaimal - Drexel UniversityAdele M. L. Gonzaga - Drexel UniversityKatherine A. Myers-Coffman - Drexel UniversityThomas J. DeGraba - Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
- Publication Details
- International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, v 12(1), 1267317
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Creative Arts Therapies
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000396166100001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85027722934
- Other Identifier
- 991019168045104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Nursing
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
- Social Sciences, Biomedical