The role of resilience in rebuilding lives of injured veterans

The aim of this commentary is to discuss potential clinical implications of introducing resilience-building interventions into care for veterans who are living with a war wound. Some war veterans are expected to live with a wound upon discharge from an active military role and also to fit into civilian life. These lifestyle adjustments can tax the person's coping abilities and in that context may hinder successful adaptation. The experience of living with a wound or wounds, either acute or chronic, is connected to losses, including loss of mobility, loss of financial capacity (unable to work at times) and losses attached to changed social roles. Psychological stress is also a common experience for veterans returning to civilian life. Psychological stress is associated with impaired wound healing. Modern health practice is centred on symptom reduction and working with pathology, however, working with people's adaptive behaviours such as resilience has not been considered. Using the resilience model as a conceptual framework health-care professionals can engage with veterans towards resilience within the context of their personal experience of ill health. Using this contemporary framework for considering these aspects of care has the potential to facilitate resistance to stressors associated with being injured, possibly preventing quality-of-life impairments.