Acculturative stress and identity challenges undermine the successful reintegration of Australian veterans.

Abstract

Reintegration into civilian society following military separation is a challenging process. There is a dearth of research into the impact of these factors on Australian veteran reintegration. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of Australian veterans during reintegration, through the lens of acculturative stress and identity. Ten interviews were conducted with ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force. Post-1990 veterans of all genders, who were at least 18 years of age, from all service branches were eligible for the study. Thematic analysis revealed two overarching themes each with three main themes; acculturative stress (assimilation, societal issues, social isolation), and integrated identity (acceptance, integrated communities, and adapting to the civilian world). Each main theme contained two subthemes illustrating their significance. Difficulty integrating civilian and veteran identities was a key barrier to successful reintegration and negative separation experiences undermined integration of civilian and veteran identities. Acculturative stressors identified were poor understanding by family, community, and clinicians of the incompatibility between military and civilian cultures. Education is needed for clinicians, the community, and families about military culture and difficulties for veterans when reintegrating into civilian society. Support for reintegration should be tailored to the needs of veterans encompassing personally meaningful activities, use of military skills in civilian contexts, ongoing membership of the military community and engagement with other veterans. This will ultimately foster integration of veteran and civilian identities, enabling veterans to retain their veteran identity in a manner that is adaptive for the civilian context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).