LAY SUMMARY Veterans seeking treatment for mental health problems are likely to face more than one problem. Well-being is a concept that does not rely on any mental health diagnosis or difficulty and may offer a broader way to capture mental health. In this study, 428 UK Armed Forces Veterans seeking treatment for mental health difficulties at a UK-based charity completed a survey asking about mental health and well-being. Overall, treatment-seeking Veteran well-being was associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, physical health, problems with anger, moral injury, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and complex PTSD. Sleep problems, alcohol misuse, and loneliness were also linked with well-being scores. These associations suggest that well-being may capture Veteran health in a way that is separate from any single diagnosis, meaning outcomes for Veterans with complex needs who require a range of support can be compared. These results also highlight the relevance of positive mental health, as opposed to mental ill health.
{"title":"Factors associated with well-being among treatment-seeking UK Veterans: A cross-sectional study","authors":"Natasha Biscoe, D. Murphy","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0023","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY Veterans seeking treatment for mental health problems are likely to face more than one problem. Well-being is a concept that does not rely on any mental health diagnosis or difficulty and may offer a broader way to capture mental health. In this study, 428 UK Armed Forces Veterans seeking treatment for mental health difficulties at a UK-based charity completed a survey asking about mental health and well-being. Overall, treatment-seeking Veteran well-being was associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, physical health, problems with anger, moral injury, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and complex PTSD. Sleep problems, alcohol misuse, and loneliness were also linked with well-being scores. These associations suggest that well-being may capture Veteran health in a way that is separate from any single diagnosis, meaning outcomes for Veterans with complex needs who require a range of support can be compared. These results also highlight the relevance of positive mental health, as opposed to mental ill health.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140487361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LAY SUMMARY This qualitative study explored the experiences of older U.S. women Veterans regarding their experiences and perceptions of their time in military service and its overall impact on their lives. Five women Veterans participated in interviews that were analyzed and resulted in four main themes: 1) family military history, 2) being treated differently and proving themselves, 3) making the most of opportunities, and 4) lasting personal strengths. Findings from this study highlight how, despite enduring negative experiences during military service because of gender, participants credited the military with having an overall positive impact on their lives in the long term. This study suggests that health care interventions and services that tap into positive aspects of military service, as identified by older women Veterans (i.e., personal strengths such as resilience and pride), may have the potential to promote the health and well-being of this population.
{"title":"Being a woman in a man’s military: The impact of military service on the lives of older U.S. women Veterans","authors":"Amanda Carroll, Twylla Kirchen","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0024","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY This qualitative study explored the experiences of older U.S. women Veterans regarding their experiences and perceptions of their time in military service and its overall impact on their lives. Five women Veterans participated in interviews that were analyzed and resulted in four main themes: 1) family military history, 2) being treated differently and proving themselves, 3) making the most of opportunities, and 4) lasting personal strengths. Findings from this study highlight how, despite enduring negative experiences during military service because of gender, participants credited the military with having an overall positive impact on their lives in the long term. This study suggests that health care interventions and services that tap into positive aspects of military service, as identified by older women Veterans (i.e., personal strengths such as resilience and pride), may have the potential to promote the health and well-being of this population.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140488522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashley Ibbotson, Margaret C. McKinnon, Linna Tam-Seto
LAY SUMMARY This article uses the current body of research to explore the need for military family research that deliberately includes LGBTQIA2S+ military families. Much of the existing research intentionally or unintentionally excludes these families, and this exclusion could result in the creation of programs, support services, and policies that do not consider or meet their unique needs. To ensure these diverse voices are heard, more intentional inclusion of LGBTQIA2S+ families in Canadian military research is needed to support their service to the country.
{"title":"Under-served and overlooked: The need for LGBTQ2SIA+ military family research in Canada","authors":"Ashley Ibbotson, Margaret C. McKinnon, Linna Tam-Seto","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0053","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY This article uses the current body of research to explore the need for military family research that deliberately includes LGBTQIA2S+ military families. Much of the existing research intentionally or unintentionally excludes these families, and this exclusion could result in the creation of programs, support services, and policies that do not consider or meet their unique needs. To ensure these diverse voices are heard, more intentional inclusion of LGBTQIA2S+ families in Canadian military research is needed to support their service to the country.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140487070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LAY SUMMARY This study examines peer support among women who served in the U.S. military. Women Veterans reported peer support to be helpful for mental health and well-being by meeting social, emotional, and concrete needs. Participants found peer support to be acceptable, non-clinical, and non-stigmatizing. Critical elements of peer support included a safe environment, someone to listen to and validate them, and the shared experience of serving as women in the military. Peer support was particularly helpful for discussing sexism, sexual assault, and trauma. Mental health providers should understand the importance of peer support for women Veterans and how it is a distinct and complementary service to clinical treatment. Peer support programs can help ensure women Veterans’ needs are considered in service delivery.
{"title":"Women Veterans’ definitions of peer support: A qualitative description analysis","authors":"Amanda L. Matteson, E. Hardiman","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0013","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY This study examines peer support among women who served in the U.S. military. Women Veterans reported peer support to be helpful for mental health and well-being by meeting social, emotional, and concrete needs. Participants found peer support to be acceptable, non-clinical, and non-stigmatizing. Critical elements of peer support included a safe environment, someone to listen to and validate them, and the shared experience of serving as women in the military. Peer support was particularly helpful for discussing sexism, sexual assault, and trauma. Mental health providers should understand the importance of peer support for women Veterans and how it is a distinct and complementary service to clinical treatment. Peer support programs can help ensure women Veterans’ needs are considered in service delivery.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140487134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LAY SUMMARY The Canadian Forces Cancer and Mortality Study (CFCAMS) is an example of a study that uses the life-course approach to research. This article provides an overview of CFCAMS challenges and solutions. Institutional challenges arise from the different mandates of the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada. These challenges were addressed by collaboration with Statistics Canada. Data-driven challenges were addressed by data linkage in a secure environment at Statistics Canada. Budget-based challenges could be addressed only for topics that aligned with funded priorities. Human-resource-related challenges include recruitment and retention of experienced personnel, and addressing these challenges is an ongoing issue. These interconnected challenges can leave gaps that result in unrealized stakeholder expectations. Policy-relevant research must incorporate these expectations. Understanding the roles and structures required to generate life-course research can lead to increased influence on policy and practice.
{"title":"Studying military and Veteran health using a life-course approach: Lessons learned from a Canadian record linkage study","authors":"E. Rolland-Harris, Shirley Bryan, L. VanTil","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2022-0071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2022-0071","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY The Canadian Forces Cancer and Mortality Study (CFCAMS) is an example of a study that uses the life-course approach to research. This article provides an overview of CFCAMS challenges and solutions. Institutional challenges arise from the different mandates of the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada. These challenges were addressed by collaboration with Statistics Canada. Data-driven challenges were addressed by data linkage in a secure environment at Statistics Canada. Budget-based challenges could be addressed only for topics that aligned with funded priorities. Human-resource-related challenges include recruitment and retention of experienced personnel, and addressing these challenges is an ongoing issue. These interconnected challenges can leave gaps that result in unrealized stakeholder expectations. Policy-relevant research must incorporate these expectations. Understanding the roles and structures required to generate life-course research can lead to increased influence on policy and practice.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139442946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LAY SUMMARY This article examines the different levels of liability Canada has assumed for disabled serving military members and Veterans from 1866 to 2020. Throughout Canada’s history, the first consideration for financial compensation has been the enrolment component of the casualty, that is, Regular, Reserve, or Special Force. Since 1883, disabled serving Regular Force members have received full pay and benefits while recovering from service-related injuries. Whether through the Militia Act, the Pension Act, long-term disability insurance, or the current Veterans Well-being Act (VWA), disabled Regular Force Veterans received financial compensation based on lost earnings. Before 1914, Canada’s military was a predominantly part-time militia, and if a member was disabled or killed due to a service-related injury or illness, lost civilian earnings and family circumstances were considered in financial compensation. From the First World War until the 1970s, serving Reservists were eligible for military pay and benefits while recovering from service-related injuries. Currently, subject to an investigation clearing them of fault or malfeasance, they may apply for an allowance equivalent to military pay with no benefits. Between 1919 and 1999, the government accepted less and less liability for disabled Reserve Force Veterans until recent changes to Veterans benefits legislation incrementally improved this.
{"title":"Canada’s varying approach to compensating disabled Reserve Force members and Veterans since 1866","authors":"John Milne","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2022-0079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2022-0079","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY This article examines the different levels of liability Canada has assumed for disabled serving military members and Veterans from 1866 to 2020. Throughout Canada’s history, the first consideration for financial compensation has been the enrolment component of the casualty, that is, Regular, Reserve, or Special Force. Since 1883, disabled serving Regular Force members have received full pay and benefits while recovering from service-related injuries. Whether through the Militia Act, the Pension Act, long-term disability insurance, or the current Veterans Well-being Act (VWA), disabled Regular Force Veterans received financial compensation based on lost earnings. Before 1914, Canada’s military was a predominantly part-time militia, and if a member was disabled or killed due to a service-related injury or illness, lost civilian earnings and family circumstances were considered in financial compensation. From the First World War until the 1970s, serving Reservists were eligible for military pay and benefits while recovering from service-related injuries. Currently, subject to an investigation clearing them of fault or malfeasance, they may apply for an allowance equivalent to military pay with no benefits. Between 1919 and 1999, the government accepted less and less liability for disabled Reserve Force Veterans until recent changes to Veterans benefits legislation incrementally improved this.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139443105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LAY SUMMARY The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is at a critical juncture as it seeks to reconstitute under a new framework of cultural change. Supporting this cultural shift are internal and external reports, surveys, advisory panels, class action lawsuits, and academic literature that acknowledge the systemic and structural barriers that must be addressed to realize the cultural change sought. Aligned with federal commitments to Gender-Based Analysis Plus, the authors call for the application of an anti-oppression lens to reimagine the principle that underpins the personnel management system: the universality of service. In doing so, this article discusses the policy implications and opportunities of turning an anti-oppression lens on the taken-for-granted principle within the military that has historically been employed in a discriminatory way. Such an approach would challenge the blanket application of the policy and enable the CAF to integrate culture change into its implementation of key strategic goals, including long-term reconstitution efforts.
{"title":"A force to imagine: A feminist rethinking of universality of service","authors":"Nancy Taber, Meaghan Shoemaker","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0011","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is at a critical juncture as it seeks to reconstitute under a new framework of cultural change. Supporting this cultural shift are internal and external reports, surveys, advisory panels, class action lawsuits, and academic literature that acknowledge the systemic and structural barriers that must be addressed to realize the cultural change sought. Aligned with federal commitments to Gender-Based Analysis Plus, the authors call for the application of an anti-oppression lens to reimagine the principle that underpins the personnel management system: the universality of service. In doing so, this article discusses the policy implications and opportunities of turning an anti-oppression lens on the taken-for-granted principle within the military that has historically been employed in a discriminatory way. Such an approach would challenge the blanket application of the policy and enable the CAF to integrate culture change into its implementation of key strategic goals, including long-term reconstitution efforts.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138984398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zachary Skiles, James R. Dixon, Dan Friedrich, Donny Reed, Christopher S. Stauffer
LAY SUMMARY The new practices of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and state-run psychedelic services need trained facilitators. This article aligns the role of peer support in both the psychedelic and the Veteran communities, displaying core competencies and current practices, while also highlighting further needs in training and supervision. Continued work with peer support in the legal facilitation of psychedelic experiences will deepen understanding of psychedelic peership (i.e., when someone with previous firsthand experience with psychedelics facilitates the psychedelic therapy session of another).
{"title":"Peer support and psychedelics","authors":"Zachary Skiles, James R. Dixon, Dan Friedrich, Donny Reed, Christopher S. Stauffer","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0008","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY The new practices of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and state-run psychedelic services need trained facilitators. This article aligns the role of peer support in both the psychedelic and the Veteran communities, displaying core competencies and current practices, while also highlighting further needs in training and supervision. Continued work with peer support in the legal facilitation of psychedelic experiences will deepen understanding of psychedelic peership (i.e., when someone with previous firsthand experience with psychedelics facilitates the psychedelic therapy session of another).","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138594330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LAY SUMMARY Patients with headache disorders, such as migraine or cluster headache, often have poor quality of life and can be disabled by their condition. Military members and Veterans have a high risk of developing a headache disorder, particularly because they are also at risk for brain injury through head trauma. New headache treatments are needed, because the available treatments may not work, have too many side effects, or are not affordable. Psychedelics have been discussed as a treatment in headache disorders for more than 50 years. Patients report that drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (a synthetic psychedelic) and psilocybin (a compound found in so-called magic mushrooms) provide long-lasting relief from headaches for weeks or months after just a single or few doses. Formal studies investigating this unique ability are starting to take place. Findings from the first studies of psilocybin in migraine and cluster headache are encouraging, although these studies are small and not conclusive, and more research is needed. Veterans have been active in the recent re-emergence of psychedelics, although they may not all be able, or willing, to take part in studies because of underlying health conditions or viewpoints gained through military experience.
{"title":"Studying classic psychedelics for the management of headache disorders: Considerations for Veterans","authors":"E. Schindler, Jason J. Sico","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0006","url":null,"abstract":"LAY SUMMARY Patients with headache disorders, such as migraine or cluster headache, often have poor quality of life and can be disabled by their condition. Military members and Veterans have a high risk of developing a headache disorder, particularly because they are also at risk for brain injury through head trauma. New headache treatments are needed, because the available treatments may not work, have too many side effects, or are not affordable. Psychedelics have been discussed as a treatment in headache disorders for more than 50 years. Patients report that drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (a synthetic psychedelic) and psilocybin (a compound found in so-called magic mushrooms) provide long-lasting relief from headaches for weeks or months after just a single or few doses. Formal studies investigating this unique ability are starting to take place. Findings from the first studies of psilocybin in migraine and cluster headache are encouraging, although these studies are small and not conclusive, and more research is needed. Veterans have been active in the recent re-emergence of psychedelics, although they may not all be able, or willing, to take part in studies because of underlying health conditions or viewpoints gained through military experience.","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139014052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"It’s time for better tools","authors":"Monnica T. Williams","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh.9.5.pf01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.9.5.pf01","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139022956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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