Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health最新文献

{"title":"Navigating the aftermath: Understanding the support needs of Veteran crewmen and their families decades after trauma.","authors":"Jennifer Born, Lisa Williams, Min Xi, Ryan Hopkins","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0045","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Research examining the needs of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans often focus on mental health and combat experiences post-Afghanistan. However, studies examining the well-being, long-term health, and support needs of Veterans and military spouses following non-combat traumatic incidents are less common. To address this gap, we examined the well-being, health, and support needs of Veteran crewmen and military spouses two decades after Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) <i>Chicoutimi</i> submarine fire.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted qualitative in-depth, semi-structured interviews with surviving crewmen, Care and Custody Team (CCT), and spouses involved in the HMCS <i>Chicoutimi</i> submarine fire to gather multiple perspectives on the long-term impacts of this traumatic incident. Template analysis was used to identify key themes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified five common themes: 1) peri-incident experiences, 2) long-term well-being, 3) access to care, 4) coping, and 5) purpose. Results suggested a variety of long-term physical health issues and mental health symptoms that had a negative effect on Veteran crewmens' well-being and the well-being of their spouses. The study showcased how each population perceived support - or the lack thereof - from the CAF organization, Canadian Forces Health Services, and individuals (e.g., family, peers, and colleagues); it highlighted distinct coping strategies used by crewmembers, the CCT, and their spouses.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>As the first study to examine long-term effects of trauma on CAF Veteran crewmen who experienced a disaster at sea, the study offers novel insights into the evolving care needs of Veterans, highlighting trauma's impact on aging Veterans and their spouses over two decades.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"40-56"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13292975/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148631903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A longitudinal analysis of Veteran well-being using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.","authors":"William Van Veen, André Lauzon, Nicolas Laham, Gray Gaudett, Sara Rodrigues, Fardous Hosseiny, Stefania Maggi","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0051","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Understanding well-being trajectories in Canada's aging Veteran population is critical, as most research is cross-sectional, U.S.-centric, and male-focused. Comparing Canadian male and female Veterans to non-Veterans over eight years, this study longitudinally assessed social integration and life satisfaction in relation to depression.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) (N = 51,338; 3,215 Veterans) across three time points (2011, 2015, 2018) were analyzed. A multi-group cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was applied using structural equation modelling (SEM) after establishing measurement invariance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall model structure was invariant between male and female Veterans, suggesting a shared psychosocial architecture shaped by military service. Significant variance emerged when comparing Veterans to same-sex civilians. For female Veterans, life satisfaction rather than social integration was the primary protective factor against depression, a pathway distinct from non-Veteran females. For male Veterans, the relationship between social integration and depression was complex and shifted over time, a dynamic not observed in their civilian counterparts.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study addresses a key gap by longitudinally including both male and female Veterans. Longitudinal analyses suggest well-being trajectories differ between Veterans and non-Veterans, highlighting Veteran status as salient in aging models. The protective role of social integration appears less direct for female Veterans, while for male Veterans, its interplay with depression is more dynamic. This heterogeneity demonstrates that military service has lasting, sex-specific effects on well-being, rendering generalized models of aging insufficient for the military community and underscoring the critical need for tailored support for Canada's aging Veterans.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"57-76"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13293183/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aging Veterans matter.","authors":"Stéphanie A H Bélanger, Nicholas Held","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2026-0306","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2026-0306","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13293005/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When the golden years are not so golden: Aging women Veterans, MST, PTSD, and homelessness.","authors":"Lily Casura, Richard J Harris","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0048","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Women Veterans are an increasingly larger percentage of U.S. and Canadian Veterans, 11%-15% of those who have served. They face many challenges, including poverty, military sexual trauma (MST), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and homelessness, and their trajectory into post-service difficulties is little researched and poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The authors conducted a large study of women Veterans from multiple service eras, well represented with respect to race and ethnicity, geographical region, branch of service, and so forth (N = 2,497). After identifying older Veterans with extensive years of service, they examine the influence of MST, PTSD, and their combination, as well as that of other variables, such as U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) eligibility and enrollment, on the risk for homelessness. Bivariate, trivariate, and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the prevalence of MST, PTSD, and homelessness by age categories.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At least 20% of women Veterans with 20 years or more of service had experienced homelessness. The influence of MST and PTSD, alone or together, was prominent. The model correctly predicts identification of homelessness more than 70% of the time, with a Cox and Snell R² of >0.2 or a Nagelkerke R² of 0.3.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The authors focus on the older sub-sample with extended years of service and contribute to the literature with data and commentary on aging women Veterans' lived experiences and responses to trauma. MST and PTSD are the most important predictors of homelessness. Policy and practice implications are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"92-105"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13292940/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rumination and depressive symptoms among aging Veterans: The moderating role of social support.","authors":"Juliana Morsello, Christina Marini, Katherine Fiori","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0047","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Rumination has been linked to worsened mental health outcomes, but its specific association with depressive symptoms among aging Veterans remains unclear. While social support may buffer adverse effects of rumination on well-being, it is not yet well understood which sources of social support are most effective. This study explored whether different sources of social support (spouse/partner, family, military friends, and civilian friends) moderate the association between rumination and depressive symptoms within an aging Veteran sample.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Seventy U.S. Veterans aged at least 60 years, most of whom served during the Vietnam Era, were recruited nationally. Participants served in the army (n = 25), navy (n = 17), air force (n = 14), Marine Corps (n = 10), and coast guard (n = 4), and completed online surveys. Measures included the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTS), the PROMIS Depression Short Form, and surveys of social support from various sources.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After controlling for age, sex, rank at separation, and number of deployments outside the United States, family support was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Rumination was associated with higher depressive symptoms, but it was also moderated by support from military friends. Specifically, rumination was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms in the context of low and moderate - but not high - support from military friends.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings highlight the protective role of military friendships in promoting Veterans' mental health and well-being later in life, particularly regarding their use of rumination as a coping strategy.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"77-91"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13292890/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148631972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The health and well-being of older Veterans in Canada: A scoping review.","authors":"Kim Ritchie, Lisa Garland Baird, Imama Noor, Emily Sullo, Mauda Karram","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0064","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This scoping review examines the health and well-being of older Canadian Veterans, a population facing distinct aging challenges shaped by military service.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Guided by Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework, we searched peer-reviewed and grey literature across six databases and multiple Canadian government sources. Eligible sources included journal articles, reports, book chapters, and editorials addressing Canadian Veterans aged 55+ years and their physical, mental, or overall well-being. From 2,229 identified sources, 68 were included. Data extraction captured study characteristics, concepts, participant details, and main findings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three themes were identified: 1) health and well-being across all Veteran ages, 2) interventions and programs, and 3) research specifically on older Veterans. Older Veterans experience higher rates of chronic physical conditions but often report greater social support and life satisfaction than younger Veterans. Mental health conditions, particularly PTSD, frequently co-occur with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Interventions exist but are rarely age-specific, limiting relevance for older adults. Research on older Veterans highlighted gaps in long-term care, dementia, caregiving, and experiences of equity-deserving sub-groups, including women, racialized, and LGBTQIA2S+ Veterans.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Findings underscore the need for age-specific, intersectional research adopting a life course perspective to understand aging within military contexts. Future work should prioritize inclusion of older Veterans to guide tailored health services, caregiver supports, and long-term care strategies. Addressing these gaps is essential to promote equitable, evidence-informed support for Canada's growing population of older Veterans.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"21-39"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13293020/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aging Veterans in Canada: Addressing diverse needs through intersectional health care.","authors":"Ashley Ibbotson, Meaghan Shoemaker, Linna Tam-Seto","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0046","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article emphasizes the need to consider diverse identities and experiences when shaping health policies, research, and services for older Veterans in Canada. As the Veteran population ages, health needs become increasingly complex, influenced by military service and personal factors such as age, gender, culture, and social background. Veterans include individuals across a wide age range, many facing service-related health challenges. National reports highlight the importance of trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care, particularly for historically under-served groups such as women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ Veterans. Intersectionality helps explain how overlapping identities - like race, gender, income, and disability - affect access to care and health outcomes. Applying this lens ensures services are inclusive and responsive to all Veterans. Recent Veterans Affairs Canada assessments show progress in incorporating diverse perspectives but note persistent gaps in reaching marginalized groups. This article calls for inclusive research, informed policies, and provider training to guarantee equitable care. Recognizing the full range of Veteran identities is essential to building a health system that supports well-being throughout their lives.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"106-112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13293150/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From service to silence: The critical need for research on aging women Veterans' health.","authors":"Madison Brydges, Stephanie Hatzifilalithis, Maurita T Harris, Kristina Kokorelias","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0072","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Canadian Veterans are an aging population, yet research that examines how women Veterans experience aging is limited. Given the need for high-quality evidence to inform health policy and practice, the lack of knowledge regarding aging women Veterans limits the ability to ensure that systems are designed to support this group as they age. This article discusses ways to support research capacity on aging women Veterans by drawing on insights from two existing bodies of research: civilian aging research and research on the health of women Veterans, primarily at mid-life. These two areas of scholarship offer insights that can support future research directed toward understanding the health and well-being of older women Veterans. The article submission builds on earlier calls for military and Veteran health researchers to adopt gendered and intersectional approaches that reflect the diverse realities of this population. Researchers, funders, and Veteran-serving organizations are urged to prioritize inclusive research that can inform policies and services designed to support the health and well-being of all women Veterans as they age.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"113-119"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13293103/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148631974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combating social determinants with collective weapons: Social identities and health inequalities in male Portuguese Veterans.","authors":"Ângela Romão, Maria Luísa Lima, Carla Moleiro, Raquel António, Rita Moura","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0082","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Exposure to traumatic experiences during military service can result in different psychological and social consequences for individuals and their close social networks. This study aims to contribute to a psychosocial understanding of these phenomena by examining whether the relationship between perceived socio-economic status and the health of Veterans is moderated by participation in Veterans' associations, as well as whether this moderation effect is moderated by the level of identification with the military group.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 480 male Portuguese Veterans (M_age = 73.24; SD = 3.74) completed validated measures of perceived socio-economic status, physical and mental health, identification with the military, and participation in Veterans' associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results show that Veterans facing greater economic vulnerability report poorer health outcomes. However, those who are members of Veterans' associations, particularly those with a strong identification with the military, report better health despite their socio-economic vulnerability.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Overall, this study highlights the importance of Veterans' associations as identity-based support networks that can promote the health and well-being of military Veterans.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 3","pages":"7-20"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13292879/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148631954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness and tolerability of massed prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD in a CAF Veteran: A case report.","authors":"Maya Roth","doi":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0032","DOIUrl":"10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with significant distress, impairment, and societal cost. Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) is a gold standard psychotherapy that has been validated for military/Veteran populations, has practical and clinical barriers, and has a moderate drop-out rate, in spite of its efficacy. Standard PE (SPE) involves 12-15 weekly sessions, while massed PE (MPE) involves daily sessions, typically offered over a two-week period. This case report examined the effectiveness and tolerability of MPE in a treatment-seeking Veteran. Baseline structured clinical interview and self-report questionnaire data were compared with post-treatment and follow-up data, with the primary outcome measure being the change in PTSD symptom severity on a structured clinical interview. MPE resulted in reduced PTSD and associated symptom severity as measured at the end of treatment and at follow-up. MPE was described as tolerable, despite short-term discomfort associated with the intense format, and beneficial in facilitating efficient and effective clinical change. This case report demonstrated the effectiveness and tolerability of MPE in a treatment-seeking Veteran. It raises attention for clinical innovation in evidence-based practice and encouragement for empirical replication of this finding in a larger, representative sample.</p>","PeriodicalId":36411,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health","volume":"12 2","pages":"123-129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13293190/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}