Introduction to the Special Issue on Military-to-Civilian Transition and Post-Military Well-Being

Abstract

In this special issue, we present a series of articles that highlight original Canadian-based research findings on military-to-civilian transition and well-being. Each of these tackle a targeted focus area that tells one part of the story; together, the articles offer a comprehensive overview of some of the key developments and contributions being made within this critical area of research. We know that careful and deliberate planning for the transition from military to civilian life can greatly contribute to enhanced preparedness and a more positive post-service adjustment for Veterans. Yet, there remains a need for further empirical investigation into which tools would be most effective in improving outcomes for serving members transitioning out of service and for Veterans. As part of the effort to address this gap, this special issue contains articles that explore two different types of transition tools: one, a self-assessment instrument and, the other, a risk screener. In the first article in this series, Lee and colleagues build on an earlier development of a self-assessment well-being tool that was designed to encourage releasing service members to reflect on their preparedness for military-to-civilian transition. Using data from the Canadian Armed Forces Transition and Well-Being Survey (CAFTWS), the validity of the self-assessment tool was confirmed, as shown by its significant associations with multiple domains of well-being. Their study provides empirical evidence that the tool holds promise as a complement to active risk screening for encouraging transitioning members and families to seek assistance. Next, Van Til and colleagues describe the development of a brief standardized screening tool that aims to identify those at potential risk for difficult adjustment to civilian life and frailty. As this standardized tool is currently being used to screen Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans for potential vulnerabilities in order to determine the most appropriate level of care, their analysis has significant implications for future applications of risk screening and the subsequent provision of services and benefits. The next two articles in the series then shift the focus toward a more directed study of a sub-population that we recognize may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing difficult post-service adjustment to civilian life: service members and Veterans who are undergoing, or have experienced, a medical release from the military. In a qualitative study, Williams and colleagues explore the stressors and challenges experienced both during and after medical release from the CAF. Their findings reveal uncertainty is a driving stressor at the time of release, while feelings of loss, injury management, and lack of purpose become more prominent as time moves on. Their study helps us to gain a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of ill and/or injured service members and Veterans, specifically throughout the transition period. Also using data from the CAFTWS, McQuaig Edge and Lee next examine transition challenges and whether factors associated with these challenges differ by release type. Their results show how certain factors may be differentially associated with challenging transitions depending on whether Veterans released for medical or for other reasons, thus providing insight into how to best support service members who are releasing under varying circumstances. The remaining articles in the series then turn attention toward exploring the specific domain of social support, which is understood to be a central and potentially modifiable factor in military-to-civilian transition and Veteran well-being. Using data from the Life After Service Survey, Born and colleagues examine correlates of social support among recent CAF Veterans, in view of identifying specific sub-groups that may be at higher risk for low social well-being post-service and potentially benefit from more targeted