How eLearning Can Decrease Challenges of Informal Family Caregivers of Service Members & Veterans with Invisible Injuries

Abstract

While a considerable amount of literature has explored the caregiver population, limited research has explored the critical need of education and training for individuals who provide care to a service member or veteran who has incurred psychological injuries, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), or other related psychological or cognitive injuries. Moreover, military veteran caregivers (MVC) of service-members or veterans with psychological injuries (SMV-PI) have been reported to sacrifice their health, careers, and well-being, to provide care to injured service members and veterans, yet have not received education or training. As a result, a decline in critical areas has been reported for this population. Additionally, research shows the MVC lacks the education and training needed to provide care, leaving the MVC with little to no understanding about how to provide care to a SMV-PI. The body of research is steadily growing about the need for caregivers to receive support for critical issues, such as the education and training necessary to care for soldiers returning from military conflicts with invisible wounds of war. This article will serve as a literature review to explore the MVC population: the demographics of this population; the social, emotional, physical, and mental health of this population; and its unique characteristics. Suggestions are provided for how eLearning, or how the acquisition of education and training through the delivery of a virtual curriculum, may aid and assist members of the MVC population in becoming better caregivers.